


Slayers: Chaos

by Mikari



Series: Slayers: Freedom [2]
Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 22:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 263,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1581434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikari/pseuds/Mikari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beast Master's latest enigmatic plot involves Xellos and Filia temporarily switching species. The dragon Xellos and monster Filia join Lina and the others, as Zelgadis becomes closer than ever to his chimera cure. Together with unexpected allies, they face a force that threatens to destroy both the over world and their own world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 001: Moonlight! The Legendary Maiden

The voice was melodious yet fierce, dangerous. The young merchant rushed his horse, but the large brown animal didn't pick up the pace too much. The steed was tired and the carriage was heavy, loaded with recently imported goods to sell in his village near the Coastal States. The man insisted, trying to make the horse hurry again. That voice was so detached, so eerie, yet so beautiful, it was dangerous. No doubt about it, it was the ghost of a maiden, a beautiful maiden that would lure unsuspecting men to a grim fate should they curiously follow her song.

The merchant shivered. He liked beautiful women as much as the next man, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't go chasing after some phantom just so he could suffer and most likely die. The echo of howls was heard in the moonlit night. "C'mon boy, hurry up!" The merchant looked at the full moon. Why did that ship have to be delayed? Why did he have to wait for it? He was better off trying to find sustenance for the next month with nothing to sell, than in this terrible danger. He whistled to calm himself as he looked left and right at the trees and shrubbery at the roadside. 

The wolves' growls were getting stronger, closer. The merchant considered abandoning his cargo and riding away on his horse. He even considered leaving his horse on the cargo carriage as bait for the wolves and making his escape on foot, but it was too late. Black and gray beasts surrounded the carriage. Their sharp white fangs and claws glinted in the moonlight. They were ferocious and they would without a doubt devour him.

A woman stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight revealing her beautiful young face. She was dressed in a long white tunic with slits on the sides and golden bracelets and anklets. She showed no fear for the fact that she was surrounded by a pack of large wolves, their strong muscles noticeable under their thick black and gray fur.

The merchant gasped. The moonlight maiden was indeed beautiful as he had heard. She was lovely, ethereal, tempting... but he wasn't stupid. Any other man would chase after this phantom without a second thought, but not him, he was smarter than that. He was also intelligent enough to know that he had no escape. His nervous breaths became ragged as he imagined the wolves tearing apart his flesh. As if that fate was not terrible enough, the maiden would put a curse on him, he imagined, and his pained soul would forever wonder, knowing no rest, just like her. 

The maiden smiled with more cheer than one would expect from a being that was supposed to be a specter. She extended her hand, golden bangles jiggling against each other. Her body looked solid, unlike the see through body of a ghost, but the merchant was certain it was only a carefully crafted illusion. "Would you please feed my friends?" She motioned towards the wolves with her hand. 

The frightened merchant appeared to hyperventilate for a moment after hearing her speak. He knew it; she intended to feed him to her wolves! The night's soft breeze played with the mysterious maiden's short black hair, her blue eyes sparkling like stars. 'She's beautiful, she looks like a princess, she is...' His train of thought faded into nothing as darkness overtook his senses and he knew nothing more.

xoxox xox xoxox

A few days prior... Amelia, being the kind hearted soul she was, had gone off to assist a village in exorcising the ghost of a maiden that was severely affecting their lives. Men would often go missing, sometimes returning to town days later with lost expressions, muttering something about wolves. Their faces were tired and worn, their eyes bloodshot with black rings of insomnia around them, their throats dry, their flesh covered with cuts, teeth marks and dirt. Their memories were wiped clean of the recent happenings. They could only remember seeing an ethereal lady surrounded by wolves and the next thing they knew, days had gone by and they were stumbling around disoriented in the outskirts of the village. Sometimes the missing people didn't return at all.

The villagers welcome the white magic using sorceress and begged her to solve their problem. At night, Amelia and her traveling companion and fiance, Zelgadis, had gone off to investigate the maiden's appearance. The night was dark with only a crescent moon in that occasion. They ventured into the area surrounding the village, into the deserted path that no one dared to walk at night, no one except the exceptionally brave and they were the only ones at the village brave enough to overtake this mission.

The sound of howls was heard, followed by growls and rapid running. They were wolves and they were closing in. The glowing golden eyes of a larger female wolf peeked from the bushes on the road side, then she quickly retreated as if daring the pair on the road to follow her. Amelia took a step forward, Zelgadis watching her back. Rustling was heard from the bushes on the opposite side of the road and the chimera turned around. There was something on that side too. 

The black wolf with golden eyes appeared again near Amelia. The beast then backed away, calm, collected and majestic. Curious, Amelia approached while Zelgadis was still tense, observing the movement in the bushes on the opposite side of the road. The chimera drew his sword in preparation for a possible upcoming attack and cast Astral Vine just in case. He assumed that Amelia was inches away behind him. In their recent travels, or as Amelia called it, their crusade of justice, they had gotten even more accustomed to fighting back to back. Albeit they usually fought bandits and other such evildoers, not wolves, or haunted wolves.

The lights of glowing eyes of a silver color were seen on Zelgadis' side of the road and he tensed up at the ready. 'Pounce, just try to pounce and I'll slice you in half...' He thought, ready for a fierce fight. At the same time, Amelia got closer to the black wolf with golden eyes; she didn't look like she would attack. The princess took a few more steps forward and looked beyond the vegetation on the roadside. 

There was a woman dressed in a white tunic with slits on the sides of the skirt and abundant golden jewelry. Her skin was tan and smooth, her eyes a glowing metallic silver, her hair a shiny platinum that cascaded to her waist. The elegant woman motioned for silence by placing her right index finger over her lips. Amelia tilted her head in puzzlement and looked back towards where Zelgadis was focusing on the movement in the bushes at the other side of the road. The mysterious woman shook her head and beckoned Amelia to come closer with a gesture of her hand. 

The princess curiously approached. Amelia knew this woman was no phantom, she knew exactly who this was, her name was Beast Master Zelas Metallium. In a soft melodious whisper, the monster lord spoke, "would you do me a little favor, Amelia?"

Amelia considered her words. A monster lord who wanted a favor might ask for something sinister, but she didn't want to judge Zelas on the basis of her species alone. So what if she was a monster? So was Xellos and he was a part of their group, even if he often had his own agenda and plans of manipulation. Besides, Zelas had temporarily joined forces with Lina and the others in the past for the sake of defeating a greater enemy during the latest near end of the world. She was Xellos' mother, she was Filia's mother in law, she was...getting impatient for an answer. "If it's nothing bad..."

Amelia was standing right next to Zelas by the time she replied, the black female wolf with golden eyes who answered to the name of Chaos was right next to them, calmly sitting beside her master. Zelas grinned, "not at all," then she and Amelia faded away as the monster lord teleported via the astral side to further discuss her request.

Meanwhile... 'C'mon, pounce already...' Zelgadis glared at the roadside bushes. 'I'm not going to lower my guard, so quit waiting for an opportunity!' He glared some more with growing impatience. "Stay on your guard Amelia," he knew she was aware of that necessity, but the silence between them had become uncomfortable. Why wasn't she saying something along the lines of 'come out of hiding wicked villains! You cannot escape the punishment of justice!' Or something like that? "Amelia?" There was no answer. "Amelia?" Zelgadis turned around to find nothing but empty space behind him. "Amelia!" Where did she disappear to?

As soon as Zelgadis lowered his guard, a large black beast with silver eyes jumped out of the bushes where it had been hiding waiting for an opportunity. The creature tackled Zelgadis to the ground, making him drop his sword in the process. Zelgadis struggled to get free to no avail, the wolf-like beast was as big as a horse and it had him pinned down to the ground. There was no escape...

The beast of silver eyes and black fur had Zelgadis pinned to the ground on the night of the crescent moon. The creature's fangs were sticking out of his mouth unnaturally, like a saber tooth tiger of ancient times. The being opened his mouth and Zelgadis was actually thankful that he was a chimera. He couldn't move, but maybe his rock hard skin would allow him to survive the encounter. Surprisingly, the animal's breath didn't carry the stench of blood. In fact, his mouth smelled oddly minty fresh. The creature licked Zelgadis' face affectionately like a puppy.

The chimera blinked in confusion. Upon closer inspection he realized that this was not a wolf. The large being was the size of a horse and had wolf-like features to it, but it was in fact more so a fox, a monster and fox chimera to be specific. His ears held the trademark style of foxes and he had two big fluffy fox tails that were almost as large as his massive torso. "Fang..." The creature gave Zelgadis another lick. "Get off me."

Obediently, the playful monster fox got off Zelgadis. He was another of Zelas minion's or more like a pet, a very spoiled pet. He was strong, certainly not as strong as Xellos, but none the less with the capability of a high level monster. There was a price to pay though, while circumstances were arranged so that the monster and fox fusion would not diminish his power, it was his monster malice that was sacrificed. Being partly physical, he had added defenses that purely astral beings would not have, though he was still semi-vulnerable to spells design to affect monsters, he was less vulnerable than a pure high ranked monster would be and that made a significant difference in battle. He could be fierce, but only if he was ordered to be. The rest of the time, Fang was harmless.

Zelgadis got to his feet and picked up his sword, returning it to its sheath. He examined the surrounding area. Amelia was nowhere to be found. "Where's Amelia?" 

Fang sniffed around as if searching for the princess' scent. He faded to the astral side, then returned and posed like a hunter dog pointing to his master's prey towards the direction Zelgadis had been facing earlier.

"She's not there. I was looking that way," Zelgadis argued. "If Amelia had run in that direction, I would have seen her." None the less, Fang insisted in pointing in that direction and Zelgadis let out a frustrated breath. The chimera assumed that the monster fox had no idea what he was pointing at. In truth, Fang's information was accurate, as Wolf Pack Island was in that direction, albeit many miles away. 

Zelgadis set out to look for Amelia in the direction he thought she had gone, with Fang following him wagging his tails. "Your master is involved in this, isn't she?" Fang offered no reply, but none was needed. He was Zelas' pet and Zelas was fond of wolves. She had to be at the center of the problem. "Beast Master!" Zelgadis boldly called. "Beast Master, are you here? Beast Master!"

The atmosphere turned heavy with dread as if there was a vast concentration of negative emotions that this time the source was not trying to hide. In a flash of black light she appeared. She wore her usual white tunic that showed off her slender legs and perfect tan. A multitude of bangles and anklets of gold jiggled together as she took a defiant step forward. Her beautiful platinum hair flowed down to her waist behind her, tugged behind her long pointy ears, her silver eyes piercing, as if looking into Zelgadis' very soul. "You called?" She grinned as she spoke in a melodious voice.

Zelgadis swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He was generally brave, calm and composed, but for all he knew Amelia could be in grave danger. Besides, only a suicidal masochist would go without worries while in Zelas' imposing presence. "Where's Amelia?" His voice came out quieter than he expected.

"She is, and will be for some time, under my care." Zelas replied with a commanding voice that left no room for arguments.

Zelgadis considered demanding Amelia's freedom, but he knew it would be useless. Instead he attempted to obtain more information in hopes of reasoning with the monster lord. "Why?"

Zelas' grinned as she slightly leaned forward and shook her right index finger in front of her face. Her long perfectly manicured silver painted nails glittered in the light of the crescent moon, golden bangles making soft cling-clang noises as they collided gently against each other. "That is a secret..."

Zelgadis frowned; this was a hostage situation if he ever saw one. "What do you want from Amelia?"

The same gesture from before was repeated once again with the same quote. "That is a secret..."

"Is there anything you can tell me that isn't a secret?" Zelgadis was becoming frustrated. His worry and anger were starting to overcome the caution of his survival instinct. 

Zelas adopted a thoughtful expression. "Many things actually, albeit I don't see how they would be relevant to your current situation." She gave him a mocking expression of superiority. "Although..." there was a long dramatic pause. Zelgadis had been about to speak, but he stopped silent, waiting for Zelas to finish with hopes that some sort of agreement could be reached and Amelia would be freed. "I will tell you one fact. If you kill the moonlight maiden that currently haunts this village, Amelia will be freed."

The word currently was emphasized as if it was of peculiar significance, but Zelgadis did not notice. Instead he questioned, "kill? How can she be killed? Isn't she already dead? I thought she was a ghost."

"Oh no, the moonlight maiden is very much alive," Zelas assured. "If you kill her, Amelia will be free. She will be free in every sense. I assure you these words I speak are indeed true."

Zelgadis nodded. He had no doubts that Zelas was telling the truth, but she probably wasn't telling the whole truth. Even the most truthful words could be very deceiving when spoken without completion, without context. "I don't know how it would be of any benefit to you, but..." There was surely a grander scheme at work, something that would probably not come to light until it had already been set in motion, until it was too late. "I will do this task." Zelgadis would be helping a monster lord, but he would be doing it for Amelia's sake. "All that I ask for is Amelia's safety."

"Not I or those under my command shall bring any harm to her." Zelas smiled with superior confidence and noticeable mocking amusement. Her face was that of a skilled manipulator, a cunning master mind, an expert hunter, an invincible beast. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Time passed and the moon would be waning that night, but for the time being it was still daylight. The village went about its business in the afternoon with people commenting about the recent happenings. The travelers that claimed they would solve the problem concerning the moonlight maiden had not been able to do so. Furthermore, the lady white mage was gone and the chimera man wondered the town and its surrounding area sleepless and troubled. 

That same chimera was currently sitting at an outdoor table in front of a quaint little cafe in the company of another chimera companion, among two others. The villages assumed that the young man with black hair, silver eyes, prominent fangs, albeit certainly not as alarmingly large as in his other form, black fox ears and a tail, was a mix of human and fox, albeit this almost human shape was just a disguise and his true nature was that of a monster and fox chimera.

As for the two others who accompanied the blue skinned chimera, they were a woman with blond hair, who was twitching incessantly in annoyance. Her ears were long and pointy making people think that she was an elf. Albeit a few had noticed the golden scaly tail with a pink bow that peeked out from under her skirt, that young woman was a golden dragon. The final component of the quartet that sat at that table in front of the little cafe in a small village near the Coastal States was a man with purple hair and a seemingly eternal unwavering smile.

The purple haired man was being peculiarly greeted by the fox man, who licked his face continuously. "Xellos!" Fang cheered happily. "I missed playing with you." He was practically on Xellos' lap, which made the scene appear to be terribly wrong from the point of view of gutter-minded or simply misinformed nosy passer-bys. Albeit Fang was perfectly capable of communicating with words and following instructions, he was an innocent pet at heart and saw nothing wrong with licking his master's favorite minion who was also like a secondary master to him.

"I know, but this terrible dragon wants my attention all to herself." Xellos laughed and petted Fang on the head. "She has her reasons to want me around though; she's so stupid and helpless. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't even be able to dress herself!"

Zelgadis waited patiently for the antics to pass, holding his face in his hands, elbows resting on the table, cup of tea untouched. "You piece of raw garbage!" Filia shifted abruptly, her tail tapping one of the table's legs, causing the surface to shake. Her half consumed cup of tea was almost spilled, but she saved it on time.

"What?" Xellos adopted a look of unfitting innocence, making no effort to deny the fact that he was somehow used to answering to 'raw garbage' by now. "Did I get that backwards?"

Filia's face burned red with embarrassment and anger. She clenched her teeth and mentally counted to ten. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 002: Possession! Cue The Exorcist

People were staring as the monster fox chimera licked the purple haired man like a puppy, except the passer bys who didn't know him couldn't picture him as a pet when he looked mostly human. Even if no one else seemed to be concerned, Xellos because he was a shameless monster and Zelgadis because he had his mind on other matters, Filia did care. "Fang, I think you've licked Xellos enough."

"Jealous, are we?" Xellos teased.

"I like you too, Filia!" Moving from his position next to Xellos, Fang looked ready to tackle Filia and lick her face, but he stopped when Xellos grabbed the spiky black collar he wore around his neck, that match the spiky wristbands and the overall look of his dark outfit that some would call goth.

"Now, now, Fang, that's not how you greet Filia," Xellos reminded in a sweet yet serious warning tone. "I've taught you this before, how do you greet Filia?"

"I give her my paw or hand..." Fang extended his hand towards Filia, who shook it. 

"That's a good boy," Xellos petted Fang on the head with approval and he wagged his fox tail in response.

Filia grinned, "so you taught Fang how to properly greet me as in not to lick me... jealous, are we?"

"Goodness no!" Xellos laughed with a mix of the amusement that comes from hearing the impossible and the offense that comes from hearing the unthinkable. "I just don't want poor Fang to lick a filthy dragon. He could get sick and even die!"

"Then why aren't you dead?" Filia retorted with what she thought was a smart comeback... until it left her mouth. 

Zelgadis slowly lifted his head from his hands to look at Filia as she rotated her head towards him. Her expression changed from the fierce glare she was giving Xellos to a pleading look that begged that any further inquiries be forgotten. "Can we move on to more important matters?" Zelgadis voiced.

Filia straitened in her chair and nodded sagely. "Of course, why did you call us here so urgently?" The letter that had been delivered to them instantly via a spell that summoned a monster courier bird sounded rather urgent. Filia was wondering if it had anything to do with the bad omens she had been getting. She kept spilling things, misplacing items and so on. It could signify the coming of a greater tragedy, a much greater loss. Or maybe it was just more of Xellos mischief. At least that was what Filia thought until she read Zelgadis' letter.

"Oh yes, Zelgadis, do tell," Xellos feigned concerned interest. "Why did you call us here interrupting our vacation? Is it that you had a fight with Amelia and she's not giving you any attention, so you want to share your misery by interrupting and preventing me from getting any attention from Filia? And by attention I mean-"

"Shut up, raw garbage!" Filia demanded, slamming her fist into the table. Her tea was spilled and though she hurried to set the cup up straight and clean the mess with napkins, the tea was already lost. "I've been having so many bad omens lately." She furiously wiped at the wooden table with the napkin. "I keep spilling things and losing things. At first I thought it was just Xellos, but your letter's timing has to be more than a coincidence!"

Zelgadis pushed away his cup of tea, setting it in front of Filia, "here." He hadn't even touched it and he didn't feel like drinking it anyway. "I think all of these unfortunate occurrences really are Xellos' pranks." This was no time to worry about superstitions or premonitions or uncertain things when there was so much more to worry about.

"I suppose..." Filia sighed, "thank you," she took a sip of tea; it had grown cold by then. 

"Meow," a black cat with shiny golden eyes walked by and meowed at the group, specifically at Zelgadis.

Xellos grinned, "I thought you were leaving the hints to me," he whispered under his breath. The cat's eyes met Xellos and just as suddenly as the feline came, she was gone.

"Black cats are a warning," Filia commented with wide eyes. "Humans say they are bad luck, but some dragons believe that felines, such as cats, especially the black ones, have an extra sense. They don't bring back luck, they warn you of a coming disaster." She paused, shaking her head. "But that's just a superstition..." 

A howl was heard and it was hard to tell if it was a dog or a wolf. "A howl means that death is near..." Xellos warned with a grin. The shadow of a bird passed overhead and Xellos looked up, silently prompting the others to look with the action. It was a dove; it flew in circles above them continuously. "Crows are bad luck too." As Xellos spoke, Zelgadis and Filia automatically looked at him.

"What crow?" Filia inquired. "That's a," she looked up, the bird that she was sure was a white dove before was now a black crow. "Okay, now I know you're messing with us! I'm sure all these bad omens are only a coincidence!"

"Right, I have a real problem to deal with and have no time to worry about superstitions and broken mirrors!" Zelgadis agreed. He had finally lost his patient and needed to communicate his dilemma. 

"You broke a mirror?" Xellos grinned mockingly. "With that face I'm not surprised."

Zelgadis glared, "I'm not talking to you." He turned his attention towards Filia. "I'm sorry to have called you here so suddenly, but I really need your help with an exorcism. The exorcism is... I should tell you the full story first..." 

Thus Zelgadis began to tell a story that took place in the recent past. He told his newly arrived companions about how he and Amelia had tried to investigate the moonlight maiden. He told them about Amelia's disappearance and about Zelas' involvement. Or rather, he told Filia, because he was sure that Xellos already knew. "That's what happened..." the chimera finally concluded at least the first part of his tale. 

Filia was looking shocked, but she also had a 'should have known' look in her eyes. Xellos was giving Zelgadis a look of false innocence that he was not even trying to mask as being real. Taking a deep breath, Zelgadis continued. "After I made that deal with Zelas, I realized exactly what she meant when she said Amelia would be free if I killed the moonlight maiden. Beast Master wasn't lying, but I can't possibly hurt the moonlight maiden in any way! A few days ago, on the night of the full moon..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Zelgadis was prepared for the worse, or so he thought. He researched exorcism spells and tried to remember every detail of what Amelia did when she had to exorcise a few wandering spirits during their travels. Armed with great determination and a repertoire of magic, Zelgadis ventured out on the night of the full moon.

Zelgadis spotted some people ahead, wolves, a human figure, a carriage. He quickly approached, making no effort to hide his presence, by now he knew that a battle was inevitable, so there was no sense in delaying it. A heavy mist invaded the atmosphere as a ball of light formed in his hand, yet it couldn't pierce the darkness of the miasma. He threw the ball of light at the human figure before he could really see her features. He wondered if she dodged, she most likely did.

The miasma covered the whole area, the merchant in the carriage was unconscious and the wolves growled threateningly, their fierce eyes glowing aggressively. "Who dares to attack my friends?" A woman's voice, very much like Amelia's, called out in her justice speech tone. "Evil doer, I will not let you harm them!" Howls were heard followed by the same voice, Amelia's voice, loudly declaring, "Fireball!" 

Zelgadis dodged out of the way of the barrage of fireballs heading straight towards him. "Amelia!" He called out her name, this wasn't the moonlight maiden, this was Amelia.

The mist around the area faded slightly. Neither Amelia nor Zelgadis could explain where it came from and where it went so suddenly, but Zelas surely could. "Zelgadis?" There she stood, wearing a white tunic with slits on the sides of the skirt and abundant golden jewelry, anklets and bracelets that jiggled together with her every movement.

This was Amelia alright, and for a moment, Zelgadis felt relieved. He didn't understand why she was in the company of all those wolves and why she was dressed like Zelas, but she was apparently unharmed. "I'm glad you're safe," he took a step forward and the wolves blocked his path. He stopped, more concerned about Amelia then himself, yet the wolves didn't appear to be aggressive towards her.

As if remembering something, Amelia's face became serious. The miasma around her increased, it gave her an otherworldly appearance. Her dress and hair slightly moved in a breeze that seemed to be present only around her and the mist that surrounded her somehow made her voice echo. "I am the moonlight maiden..." Amelia spoke in a lost yet serious tone. "All those who defy me shall perish! Retreat at once!"

Zelgadis stepped back, he understood, or so he thought. The moonlight maiden needed to be exorcised after all, she was in Amelia, she had taken over her! That's what Zelas meant when she spoke of the current moonlight maiden. Amelia had become the moonlight maiden since that time when she disappeared. Zelgadis formed a ball of light in his hands; the spell floated towards Amelia but had no effect on her. The chimera assumed that he simply wasn't skilled enough in exorcism to accomplish this very vital task of freeing Amelia from the spirit that he concluded was possessing her. He couldn't fight Amelia, he could never bring himself to harm her. 

Zelas wasn't lying, if the current moonlight maiden was killed, Amelia would be free, her spirit would be free to pass on, free in death. It wasn't a lie; it was a very cruel truth. Zelgadis backed away. "Amelia..." Their eyes met and there was a hint of something. An apology, a request for understanding, a deep connection, a consolation, the silent promise that somehow everything would be okay, trust, love, he saw it all in a split second in her eyes. Then he retreated. 

Zelgadis ran back to the village as fast as he could. The being that had entrapped Amelia, making her spirit a prisoner of her own body was strong. He couldn't exorcise it, but he could think of someone who might be able to. Someone who knew holy magic, someone who was a golden dragon, someone like Filia...

xoxox xox xoxox

The moon was waning that night, making the atmosphere around the village darker. Filia lit another lantern and set it up on the side of the road. "This is a special ritual exorcism spell," she had explained when they began the task. "It's powerful against wandering spirits, but gentle with the host."

Zelgadis set another lantern on the ground on the side of the road and stepped back to examine their work. There were lanterns all over on the sides of the rural path leading to the village near the Coastal States. "Do you really think these lights will attract the spirit of the moonlight maiden that's possessing Amelia?"

"Of course!" Filia assured. "The spirit will be drawn to the light and will want to follow the path of lanterns, from the dimmest towards the brightest. Then at the end of the path where the brightest lights are, we have the spell circle all set up. Once Amelia steps into it, she'll be free from that spirit!" After finishing her explanation, Filia glared over at Xellos. "It'll work, right, raw garbage?"

Xellos grinned in return, shaking his finger in front of his face. "That is a secret." He definitely knew more than he was telling, as it was often the case and this occasion was no exception.

Filia huffed, "right... Places everyone!" She and Xellos went to hide behind the bushes on one side of the road and Zelgadis did the same on the opposite side. 

The three waited silently until eventually a heavy mist covered the area and only the light of the lanterns could be seen. Amelia walked down the road curiously with several wolves surrounding her. "It doesn't look like any lone travelers are coming this way today. I wonder who set up all these lanterns..." She curiously made her way towards the spell circle which was hidden by the fog. She stopped, standing on top of it along with a few wolves, completely unaffected.

Filia was sure she drew all the symbols correctly, maybe she should pair the spell written on the ground with a holy exorcism spell to be chanted and then it would activate, although it should have been automatic. She chanted softly, though Xellos breathing on her neck was somewhat distracting. She considered elbowing him, but then he would probably make a noise, give away their position and blame it on her. Filia's quiet chants activated the spell circle, triggering it even if nothing actually on it appear to be doing so. The spell Filia chanted, along with the effects of the circle were useless though. 

The ground glowed, Amelia looked at it curiously, then she calmly stepped away, exiting the circle on the other side of the path as if it was nothing. The wolves followed her nonchalantly as the mist cleared. "Let's check the roads on the other side, we might find someone to feed you there."

Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos went out of hiding. Frowning deeply, Zelgadis looked at the circle on the ground as its glow faded. "It didn't work."

"I don't understand," Filia was shocked. "I'm sure I did it right, I've done this before, there was no mistake!" The answer to this mystery eluded her. "Maybe the spirit that is possessing Amelia is buried deep inside her soul. This is bad, if the spirit merges with her own soul she'll be its slave forever. But Amelia is strong, so I'm sure there's still a chance to save her. We'll have to try a more complicated exorcism." Filia was determined to save her friend.

Xellos was still grinning in amusement while Zelgadis glared. "If you're holding back vital information that could save Amelia..." The chimera threatened in warning.

"Save Amelia?" Xellos innocently questioned. "Save her from what?" He pretended not to know what Zelgadis was talking about.

Zelgadis groaned in exasperation. "You're impossible!" He concluded, frowning at Xellos. He was sure that Xellos knew something vital and he was determined to get the information out of him. "I'm going back to the inn," Zelgadis announced. Although the truth was that he wouldn't be getting much sleep, he had a lot of plotting and planning to do and he had a pretty good idea of a plan that could work to make Xellos speak.

With Zelgadis gone, Xellos and Filia were left alone on the road, surrounded by lanterns. She glared at him exasperated. "How could you hold back your information at a time like this? Amelia is in danger!"

"She looked perfectly safe to me." Xellos gave Filia an innocent smile that she was determined not to be tricked by.

"You're under Beast Master's orders to keep quiet, aren't you?" Filia pouted.

Xellos once again made his trademark pose and replied with his most well known quote. "That is a secret."

Filia pouted more deeply, then she smiled mischievously. They were alone, there was no one watching. "Can't you tell me?" She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his. "I can keep a secret."

Xellos returned the embrace. "Maybe..." he tempted.

Well, 'maybe' was better than 'no,' and so much better than 'that is a secret.' "Only maybe?" She moved her face closer to his.

"Maybe..." He repeated in a quiet tone. "Maybe we should finish this discussion at the inn..."

xoxox xox xoxox

The next morning, Filia pouted and Xellos grinned. She glared and he grinned some more. The random occupants of the inn's common room and small restaurant paid them no mind, having no idea of what their silent argument consisted. "I did say maybe," Xellos reminded with a smug look.

Filia growled in response with a fierce, "raw garbage!"

"You shouldn't be so bitter, stupid dragon," Xellos chuckled with a teasing tone. "You enjoyed your little game of bribery too."

Filia's face turned scarlet and she suddenly found the table cloth to be fascinatingly interesting. "Shut up..." A moment of silence passed between them, during which, albeit she didn't look up, Filia knew exactly what Xellos' expression was. He was still looking smug, still grinning from ear to ear, eyes squinting with joy.

Before Xellos could throw out his next tease, Zelgadis arrived at the table with a peculiar request. "Xellos... I need to talk with you, man to man, or man to monster or something like that."

"Or freak to man?" Xellos chirped cheerfully. He was clearly in a good mood that morning.

Zelgadis huffed, "whatever, just come talk over a drink for a moment."

"Sure, why not?" Xellos agreed a lot more easily than anyone expected. "See you later, Filia," he winked at her before following Zelgadis upstairs and she pouted in response.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was a little early to be drinking by the definition of most, but Zelgadis didn't look like he had just woken up, he looked like he stayed up all night, even though he said he was going back to the inn the previous night. Xellos wouldn't really know, as his mind was occupied in other matters at the time after he teleported Filia and himself from the road directly to their room at the local inn. The two men sat down at a small table in Zelgadis' room where there was a bottle lacking a label and two glasses. 

Zelgadis poured a pair of drinks, "I think it should be obvious why I called you here." The chimera picked up his glass and took a sip. The liquid was strong and it stung all the way down his throat. 

"Yes," Xellos lifted his glass towards Zelgadis, "cheers to captain obvious." He took a drink, he was a monster, so it's not like he expected to get drunk off common alcohol. Still, the brew had a particularly stinging quality to it that felt like drinking fire. It was a peculiar taste that rung out bitterly and yet it was the kind of bitter that was good in its own way. He finished the glass.

Zelgadis filled Xellos' glass again and took another sip of his own. "Amelia could be in danger and you know something about that, don't you?"

"That is a secret," Xellos drained his glass again. He didn't know what this stuff was, but it was good. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 003: Misleading! Paraphrasing Honesty

Xellos and Zelgadis were at the chimera's inn room drinking and talking. The drink was quite peculiar; it tasted almost like the substance known as astral wine, which was also called radioactive rum by some. It was a potion so strong that it could even make a monster drunk. Xellos paused, looking at the few drops of bronze liquid in his glass. He set it down in front of him and looked at Zelgadis. "What is this drink?"

Zelgadis filled Xellos' glass again, "radioactive rum," the chimera admitted.

"Not quite..." Xellos took a smaller sip this time, taking a moment to taste the substance. "Radioactive rum, or as some call it, astral wine, has a very strong burning sensation, but it's also surprisingly sweet. This stuff is mixed with something that makes it bitter. It gives it a more alcoholic taste, but the substance of it is watered down."

"True," Zelgadis admitted before finally finishing his first glass. "It's still good though, isn't it?"

"It is," Xellos admitted. "But offering me a drink won't get you any information."

"I suppose not... Not with a common drink at least." Zelgadis gave Xellos a victorious grin. "You know what they say..."

The alarms in Xellos head went off full force. Had he walked into a trap? What could Zelgadis possibly do with a drink? The radioactive rum was watered down, it wasn't enough to get him drunk, not yet at least and he would certainly stop before that happened. "What do they say?"

"Only truths you shall speak, not a lie you shall breathe, until the time is through, because you drank the witch's brew." That wasn't a real saying, it was a spell that Zelgadis had chanted.

Xellos felt an odd warmth inside of him, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone. He gave Zelgadis a smug mocking look. "It didn't work. Although I see now what this is. It's a truth serum activated by a spell. You must have already taken the antidote before you called me over so that you could drink without being affected. You probably also temporarily immunized yourself to the effects of drunkenness as an extra precaution, didn't you?"

"Yes," Zelgadis admitted. "It is true that you're an astral being, but this truth serum doesn't aim for the physical body because it's not a real potion. This is a liquefied spell; it can be used against purely astral beings."

Xellos' look was still victorious and superior. "It's true that this may work from the astral side, but it doesn't work on monsters. You could use it on non-physical beings like ghosts, the spell I mean. Liquefying this particular spell to get a monster to drink it is useless because of the way monsters are made."

"This spell makes telling the truth irresistible. A lie would feel painful, like an astral attack and you'll instinctually avoid it subconsciously," Zelgadis explained. "Normally, I should be able to ask questions and order you to answer them, but I'm not expecting this to be fully effective on you."

"I'm not expecting it to be effective at all," Xellos confidently picked up the bottle and took a long drink. He set it down on the table defiantly.

"It'll work," Zelgadis insisted, "It just takes a little while to work." He held on to that hope. "Even if you are under Beast Master's orders to remain silent, it's not your fault if you had no choice, right?"

"It would be my fault if I placed myself in such a situation, not that I would," Xellos replied.

Zelgadis frowned, "it's not like I'm planning to tell Zelas you told me anything. I just want to save Amelia."

"How considerate of you not to incriminate me and here I thought you hated me," Xellos' voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Last year you were temporarily transformed into a human," Zelgadis reminded.

"So?" Xellos inquired, truly curious as to what that had to do with the current situation.

"You're not as vulnerable to positive emotions as you used to be before that experience. That is because when you were human such elements of human nature became integrated into your very being. When you turned back into a monster, though you once again became a purely astral creature, the emotions that you were able to have as a human were not lost," Zelgadis reminded.

Xellos poured himself another drink, the bottle was almost empty, "another cheer for captain obvious!" He drank. "I thought the whole group was aware of that since last year, even Gourry. So I have added defenses against Amelia's wonderful life songs. I could even feed off them though the taste is so sweet it would still make me cringe. Anyway, I'm stronger because of what happened last year. How does that benefit you now?"

"The smallest hint of a positive emotion can be used to make this spell work. That emotion will be transformed into overwhelming honesty. You're still a monster; you still feed primarily on annoyance and negative emotions, though you can also feed on other emotions now. It's not completely effective, but it should have some limited effect, because you're not composed of pure negativity anymore. It'll be enough..." Zelgadis took a deep breath and asked. "What is Amelia doing for Zelas?"

"Amelia is..." Xellos clamped his mouth shut, he almost answered the question. Oh no... Zelgadis had a point; the liquid spell did have an effect on him, albeit limited. He could still resist it since he had a strong mind. "That is a secret." Xellos grinned victoriously at Zelgadis. "I'm not in the habit of lying anyway," he reminded.

"Why did Zelas take Amelia and don't say it's a secret!" Zelgadis insisted.

"That is..." Xellos paused; his words weren't coming out right. "That is..." he had to fight it! "That is... a..." He was being truthful with his words, but he was also technically hiding the truth, so it wasn't full honesty. "I think Filia is very pretty." He blurted out before he could stop himself. At least his irresistible urge to tell the truth was gone with the revelation of a different kind of guarded truth.

Zelgadis gave Xellos a curious look, then grinned. "You really love Filia, don't you?" He leaned forward on the table, his face in his hands, elbows on the wooden surface. 

Xellos remained completely silent for several seconds. He clenched his teeth, he wanted to say something, he needed to say something. Then he glared at Zelgadis, still keeping his silence. A ball of black energy with purple lightning around it formed in his hand as he motioned threateningly.

"You want the antidote, don't you?" Zelgadis remained defiant. "I don't have it and I don't intend to give it to you. Please understand that I need to do this for Amelia's sake and I'm not backing down no matter what."

Xellos pointed at the ball of energy in his right hand with his left, then pointed at Zelgadis with a full open eyed glare.

"Are you trying to say you'll kill me? I don't think Zelas has ordered that." Zelgadis maintained his resolve. "Filia would be very upset."

The ball of dark energy Xellos held dissipated. He huffed and turned away, exiting the room and Zelgadis was quick to follow.

xoxox xox xoxox

Downstairs at the inn's restaurant, Zelgadis kept annoying Xellos so he would say something. The monster general priest could still keep a secret, but he found that though he could resist the spell of truth, he had to bargain with another truth to calm his impulses of honesty. "Just say it," Zelgadis teased, "you love her, admit it, shout it at the top of your lungs. You only said it once didn't you? It was only that one time when you two thought you were going to die. That was more than a year ago."

Xellos paused, glared at Zelgadis and made questioning motions with his hands. "I know because Filia told Amelia and Amelia told me." Zelgadis admitted. Xellos made a very grumble-like gesture, but refused to voice anything. "I bet Filia wants to hear it again," Zelgadis continued trying to torture Xellos into releasing some useful information. Xellos crossed his arms and stumped his feet in a sign of stubbornness. "Do you love Filia?" Zelgadis insisted. "Do you? Do you? Do you?"

Xellos felt his eye twitch. Zelgadis was easier to put up with back when he hated him, back when he was less annoying and gloomier, before he became Amelia's fiance and her cheer started to rub off on him. "I lo..." Xellos clenched his teeth. "I lo..." He had to say something, but not that. "I loathe slugs!" The purple haired monster finally shouted.

From across the room at the table where Filia had remained, there was a shrill scream. "Slugs!" A petite redhead that had arrived and joined the golden dragon's table while Xellos and Zelgadis were upstairs leapt into her swordsman companion's arms. She wrapped her arms around him in a panic and buried her frightened face in his chest. Fortunately, Gourry was able to calm the panicked Lina after a few minutes and the group settled back into the table. Lina was tempted to remain sitting on Gourry's lap, where she felt protected with his strong arms around her, but she didn't want to look like a coward.

The petite red haired sorceress glared at Xellos from across the table. "I'm still waiting for an explanation and an apology meal!" She growled angrily. "Slug false alarms are not something to throw around like it's nothing!" She waved her right index finger back and forth accusingly at Xellos. "If you keep crying slug, one of these days you'll find a real slug and when you call for help no one will believe you!"

"I'm not afraid of slugs," Xellos clarified. "I merely think they are disgusting, that's different."

Lina pouted and continued glaring and shouting. "I completely agree on that they're disgusting and beyond disgusting, but it's no excuse! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Too much, probably," Xellos truthfully replied.

"Too much indeed," Zelgadis agreed with a challenging look.

"Before any unwelcome interrogations take place," Xellos opened his eyes momentarily, giving Zelgadis a serious look. "I would like to inquire how you were able to mix that brew..."

Zelgadis' expression turned solemn, "I had some help..." 

xoxox xox xoxox

Zelgadis' memories took him to the events of the previous night. He had run into none other than Amelia in the outskirts of the village. The recent attempt at an exorcism had apparently failed, but perhaps not completely. Amelia looked into his eyes then set a scroll on the ground. She walked away a few steps towards Zelas who faded out of the darkness, then they both disappeared.

Zelgadis thought that Amelia's eyes were too focused for someone who was possessed, yet Zelas was right there, witnessing everything. He didn't understand what this was about, but he had to read that scroll. The chimera picked it up and stretched it, finding a peculiar recipe that took ten odd steps to prepare. He didn't know what to think of it, it felt like a trap, but he couldn't ignore this.

The first step was simple enough; it consisted of gathering a list of ingredients. The market was closed at night, but Zelgadis thought of this as enough of an emergency to put his lock picking skills to the test. The second step was to meticulously measure the assortment of fruits, berries and herbs. Then the third step was to boil them in a pot. The mix of the concoction was strange and it smelled foul at first, but as the ingredients were further cooked, the foul scent went away. 

The forth step consisted of putting the mix in a wooden vessel and dancing an odd ritual around it. The fifth step involved passing the mix into a ceramic container and singing a ridiculous song to it until the concoction changed colors. The six step required putting the mix into three round completely sealed containers that would not spill and juggling them without dropping them for a at least a full minute. Zelgadis had some trouble with that step, but he managed to do it. 

The seventh step required placing the mix in a blue bowl and stirring it with the hair of a chimera, without actually adding the hair. For that Zelgadis used his own hair. The eight step required a righteous speech to be given directed towards the mix, which would have to be transferred to a yellow bowl. Zelgadis quoted Amelia a lot for that step.

The ninth step required a confession of ten secrets. Zelgadis was not pleased with this but if it was to save Amelia, he would speak of what he hid the most. Albeit this turned out even more difficult than he thought because he didn't even have that many secrets anymore. He felt like he was being watched even if it was supposed to be just the concoction and him. He figured Zelas must be somewhere in the shadows. Finally, the tenth step was to mix the concoction with radioactive rum. The substance appeared in an unmarked bottle out of the shadows and somehow the chimera simply knew that had to be it.

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos' face was invaded with disbelief for a split second until his features became thoughtful. Apparently, Zelas had actually assisted Zelgadis in preparing that terrible concoction that Xellos certainly didn't feel any better about drinking after he found out how it was made. He knew about Amelia and about why Zelas had her under custody, but he didn't know what this was about.

Zelgadis crossed his arms and gave Xellos a direct look. "Now I will ask a question."

"What about my meal?" Lina pouted. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on and she would require a full explanation from the beginning rather than an out of context update to understand, but there were more pressing matters to tend to before she could ask about that.

No one supplied Lina with an answer, instead Zelgadis continued. "What can I do to save Amelia?"

Peculiarly, Xellos didn't resist the urge to speak, "nothing."

The atmosphere grew cold and Zelgadis hoped that the reply was simply due to the effects of the brew wearing off. He hoped and wished with all his heart that it wasn't true. He had to save Amelia, he simply had to. "You're lying..."

"I'm not lying," Xellos grinned.

Zelgadis decided to test that claim. "Do you love Filia?"

Xellos placed his hands over his ears, "la la la, I can't hear you!"

Zelgadis continued the odd barrage of questions while Filia, Lina and Gourry watched on in confusion. "Do you simply adore every aspect of her? Why don't you just say it?"

"Life is wonderful!" Xellos sang in desperation.

Zelgadis relentlessly insisted. "Say it for all of us to hear!"

Unable to resist the urge of honesty any longer Xellos blurted out, "I love Milgazia's cookies!" His hands immediately covered his mouth as his violet eyes opened in shock, annoyance and mortification. Then he glared at Zelgadis. "I really want to kill you right now!"

The chimera slumped in his seat, his expression heartbroken. "You're still affected by the brew... You were telling the truth before. There's nothing I can do to save Amelia..." Even so, Zelgadis wasn't giving up; he would keep trying for as long as there was life left in him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Several days earlier at Wolf Pack Island... It was a moonless night, though the crescent moon was well on its way and it would be seen in a few days. Beast Master Zelas Metallium was feeling rather bored. It had been a year ago that a series of peculiar events resulted in the marriage of her general priest Xellos to a golden dragon, Filia. Zelas stretched in her throne and yawned. She didn't actually need to stretch or yawn or even breathe, but it was all part of the realism of her physical form, they were details that she had become accustomed to emulate. 

She considered what to do. The world had made remarkable progress recovering from the near apocalypse, but she had leveled the playing field with some dragon hunting so the monster race wasn't in any trouble. With the passing of time and the achievement of a balance that was tipped in her favor ever so slightly, yet ever so significantly, Zelas eased her hunts and decided to take a little vacation. She would pop over to Seyruun, the new location of Filia's shop and home, and annoy the golden dragon for a while when she was particularly unoccupied. Val was a fine little mischief maker, Xellos had taught him well.

The monster lord considered annoying Filia for entertainment, but decided against it. This was their anniversary and Xellos probably wanted Filia's wrath all to himself, not to mention other emotions that quite frankly, Zelas did not wish to dwell on. She would wait a few days and than she would go annoy Filia. Or perhaps she should pick on someone else for a while. Lina maybe? Her explosive temper was certainly entertaining and like Filia, she was so easy to rile. How about Milgazia? He was so serious and diplomatic; he would certainly present a challenge to be angered, maybe too much of a challenge. Sometimes Zelas found that she consumed more energy trying to annoy Mr. Polite and Proper than what she got as nutrients when he finally started to show his misery.

Who else could she bother? Little miss princess of justice? Or perhaps her chimera fiance? He might be fun to pick on. A smile spread over Zelas' alluring features. "Zelgadis..." she considered the idea, "Zelgadis..." she gave it further thought and her eyes glinted with mischief. "Zelgadis..." it was decided. Thus the queen of trickery chose a new target, Zelas' next victim would be Zelgadis Graywords.

To be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 004: Deception! Misleading Intentions

On the night of the crescent moon, when Amelia had disappeared... "What can I do for you?" The justice loving Seyruun princess asked after Zelas had teleported them away so they could speak privately.

Beast Master grinned mischievously. "I want you to keep a legend alive."

The request took Amelia by surprise. It was, to say the least, rather odd. "To keep a legend alive?" She echoed in puzzlement.

"Yes," Zelas elaborated. "You see, legends are part of people's culture. Because of the terrible depression that overtook the planet during the second phase of the near apocalypse last year, people became full of apathy and forgot even their legends. It would help restore some life and energy to the world if people remembered such an aspect of their precious culture." That was all true, but the kinds of legends Zelas liked were the kind that brought fear and discomfort.

Amelia innocently nodded eagerly. "That makes a lot of sense and I'm really happy you would suggest it!" In her eyes, Zelas was changing for the better.

"That's not all; I also want you to remind people about the importance of giving and about living in harmony with nature. All of this can be done simultaneously if you take on the identity of the moonlight maiden. The legend would be remembered and you would motivate those terribly greedy merchants to become kinder, sharing with the other living creatures that reside in the area. I have been doing this myself," Zelas revealed. All that she said was true, but while such an effect could be achieved, the main effect was fear and discomfort, food for her monster minions and stolen goods, food for her wolves. "However, I am quite busy and would like for you to continue my labor."

Amelia beamed in joy, "I would be all too happy to continue your noble efforts!" 

Zelas grinned, "oh, I'm so grateful. There is a catch though; it would ruin the legend's air of mystery if anyone knew so you must keep it a secret, even from Zelgadis... especially from Zelgadis."

"I don't want to worry him..." Amelia frowned unsure.

"You won't," Zelas encouraged. "The two of you share a deep bond, he will know in his heart that you're alright the second he sees you. Besides, he's not exactly the greatest of actors and might give away too much if he knows too much. Plus legends are supposed to be mysterious, don't make him miss out, let him enjoy this fine aspect of human culture too." A fine aspect indeed, sometimes humans found more fictitious ways to scare themselves than what actual monsters did, with their many legends of lurking evil.

Amelia thought about it for a moment longer before finally nodding in agreement, "no one has to know."

xoxox xox xoxox

Present time, at a village near the Coastal States... "I loathe slugs!" Xellos chirped. In the final moments of the dreadful, yet hilarious, effects of the serum of truth, he felt compelled to speak all sorts of random truths. Albeit he still had just enough control not to say anything too vital, which was what Zelas wanted to test. "I love cake!" He cheered loudly, making passer-bys down the street stare at him oddly as the group walked.

Said group consisted of Xellos, Filia, Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis. "We get it!" Lina snapped. She was sick and tired of listening to the same random facts over and over again. "If you're not going to tell us something we don't already know, then shut up!"

"I can't!" Xellos truthfully replied. "Filia is cute," he giggled like an idiot. Sure, he had said his fair amount of silly things, but misery loves company and miserable company is delicious for a monster. As long as the others were more annoyed than him, Xellos wasn't so annoyed after all. "Filia and Lina both have bad tempers."

Filia was used to worse critiques from her endearingly annoying husband, but Lina wasn't going to take that without protest. "I do not!" The redhead shouted, pausing her walk down the street as soon as she had moved to stomp her feet in front of Xellos, blocking his path. "Just who do you think you are, accusing this sweet and innocent maiden of having a bad temper? I'm perfectly lady-like!"

"More like barbaric," Xellos argued before he could stop himself. He was immediately put in a headlock, one of Lina's arms tightly around his neck, the other petite fist constantly hammering at his skull.

"Lina, that's a bit harsh," Gourry tried to reason with his fiance. In a rare moment of enlightenment he realized, "aren't you just proving him right by doing this?" His voice was lost to those who were occupied in other thoughts and no one acknowledged his uncommon bout of common knowledge and logical thought.

"I can't save Amelia..." Zelgadis sighed in depression. 

Filia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up, we'll find a way to save her."

"Right," suddenly full of determination, Zelgadis was willing to do something crazy for Amelia's sake. "I'll find Zelas and negotiate with her personally... even at the cost of my life! I won't let her get away with this!"

"Wait a minute," Filia paused in worry and concern. Zelgadis had the look of a desperate madman in his eyes, of one who would do anything no matter how risky, dangerous or illogical it was. "What are you planning to do?"

"Annoyance," Zelgadis spoke the word in a low threatening tone, as if it was the forbidden name of an ancient secret weapon of ultimate doom. "No one is immune to it, not even a monster lord. I'll annoy Zelas until she sets Amelia free!"

"She'll kill you for that!" Filia warned. The whole time, Xellos was still sprouting random truths and Lina was still hitting him, while Gourry watched on in deep thought.

"I don't care, I can't live without Amelia!" Zelgadis desperately declared, while Filia tried to console him.

Finally, Gourry stepped forward. "It's okay, Zel, I'll talk to Zelas about freeing Amelia. You can leave everything to me."

A moment of silence passed as Zelgadis and Filia stared at Gourry. Finally, the chimera spoke, "let's not be so rash." Because the notion of Gourry of all people, conducting negotiations with someone as cunning and tricky as Zelas was ever so silly and ridiculous, Zelgadis finally found it in himself to get a grip on logic and reason. "There has to be a way to get Amelia back, a way that doesn't involve any of us getting killed..."

"It's okay," Gourry assured again with a brotherly smile. "Like I said, you can leave it all to me. I'll talk to Zelas, I'm sure she's a reasonable lady if we just ask nicely."

Filia and Zelgadis exchanged concerned looks. They didn't want Gourry to do anything dangerous and potentially suicidal without even knowing what he was getting himself into. Annoying Zelas was a fatal risk indeed, one that would almost certainly result in death. "No, really, it's fine, I'll take care of everything" Zelgadis insisted.

Gourry simply nodded and both the chimera and the golden dragon assumed that meant he understood that it was best to allow them to handle the situation. The truth was far from that, as Gourry had simply assumed that Zelgadis was feeling shy about asking for help as this was a matter concerning his lady love. But Amelia was Gourry's friend, as was Zelgadis, so he was all too willing to help. Thus the blond swordsman quietly decided that he would confront Zelas about the situation, preferably in secret, so that he wouldn't worry the others. 

While Zelgadis, Filia and Lina tried to come up with a sensible plan to rescue Amelia from Zelas, Xellos sprouted random truthful nonsense and Gourry was busily thinking about his own plan. He intended to serve as the diplomatic negotiator that would convince Zelas to free Amelia. The group visited the local library and occupied themselves in researching various tales and legends in hopes of finding some kind of clue. 

They assumed that Zelas must have a special reason to have chosen to take Amelia away to be possessed, as they still mistakenly thought she had been overtaken by a spirit, and task her with the haunting of that area. Maybe there was something hidden there, maybe there was something about that village near the Coastal States that they didn't know, which was the key to solving the whole mystery. Thus they researched the town's literature, history and folklore. 

As for Xellos, he spent most of his time flipping through volume number fifteen of the Adventures of Fluffy and Ice-cream, a comic book about a traveling pair consisting of a human sorcerer and a golden dragon, which were in many ways, very much like Xellos and Filia. Gourry appeared to be absorbed in a random book, though he seldom turned the pages, as if he was stuck reading the same page over and over in a futile attempt to understand it. The others just let him be. Research was obviously not his forte, but at least he was quiet as he gave it his finest effort.

Gourry sighed and closed his diplomacy book. The complex text about the many rules of diplomacy and the importance of recognizing the differences between what is proper and what is not in various cultures was overwhelming. Besides, it didn't say anything about monster diplomacy anyway. 

Pushing his brain to work even harder, Gourry tried to think of another way to figure out the proper method to address Zelas without angering her and getting himself, and possibly his friends, killed. He couldn't really come up with anything. He just thought that he should be friendly and nice, but that felt far too simple. 

The distressed blond swordsman got up from his seat and placed the diplomacy book on a shelf. He looked through the other books there. Maybe he would find a more beginner friendly version of that text. Then his eyes landed on the spine of a deep red book that, judging by it's worn cover, looked like it had been read many times. He didn't remember who said it, but he had once heard long ago that good books are always worn because so many people read them. 

Gourry carefully traced his fingers over the faded title of the book engraved on its spine, 'How to Impress a Woman,' it read. He carefully took the book out of the shelf, treating it gently as if he worried that it would turn to dust at any moment, before he could obtain its secrets. With a hopeful grin, Gourry returned to his seat and began to read through the first few introductory paragraphs of the book. 

The text claimed that if its advice was followed, any woman would act favorably towards the one conducting the strategy. The book was very subtle in its words, making Gourry think that it was for general purposes rather than for romance. Since it was placed, unknown to him misplaced, among many books about diplomacy and politics, he assumed that it must be good for such purposes. Thus he began to study the text with great attention and even got a pencil and paper to take notes. 

If he did what the book said, Zelas would listen to his reasoning and free Amelia. Then he would have helped not only the princess, but Zelgadis as well, since he was so stressed without her. Actually, they were all worried about Amelia, so Gourry would be doing something good for the whole group. He smiled thinking about the good deed he was doing, Lina would be so proud.

Time passed slowly and quietly at the library. Zelgadis and his not so merry band of worriers were running out of options. "I just don't get it!" Lina exclaimed loudly, her voice echoing through the library.

The librarian, a stereotypical old woman with gray hair in a little bun atop her head, a large nose, tiny glasses and bony hands, called out "shh!" Holding her long a thin index finger over her lips.

Lina ignored her completely and instead settled for sinking into her chair and crossing her arms in frustration. "Just what is Zelas planning anyway?" The question was not loud enough to catch the librarian's attention again as all eyes landed on Xellos. All except Gourry, who had disappeared from their line of vision a little while ago.

"That is a secret," Xellos grinned. At least the brew wore off and he wasn't reciting random truths all the time now.

Filia glared, "we can't count on him for anything."

"Aw, that was mean, my sweet Filia," Xellos feigned hurt.

Not in the mood for his antics, Lina turned her gaze away from the purple haired monster and towards the chimera. "Find anything, Zel?"

"Nothing that we didn't already know," Zelgadis replied with a frown. He looked up from the book he was examining, realizing that there was one less at the table. "Where's Gourry?" He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to ask.

Lina shrugged, "I don't know. He probably got bored and went for a walk around town or something." She never imagined the kind of thoughts that were going through his head of silly plans to befriend a certain monster lord. "I'm sure he'll come back when he gets hungry." Her beloved fiance always came back to her; that was something that Lina could always count on. 

At that very moment, Gourry returned to the library with a bouquet of red roses that looked and smelled lovely. Peculiarly, there was not a single thorn to be found among them as if they had all been removed. Lina's eyes were immediately trained on him, as a pink blush invaded her cheeks. Gourry knew by now that the best gift for her was food, but she didn't mind this random sweet gesture. "Aw Gourry, for me?" 

"Actually, no," Gourry replied casually, which made Lina's blood run cold.

"What?" The redhead snapped, but quickly composed herself. "Then who are they for?"

Gourry shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't tell Lina about his plan until it was done. What if she worried that it wouldn't work and stopped him? He had to show her he was reliable. "I'm just doing a good deed," it was true. As far as he could interpret, the advice from the book consisted of performing a series of good deeds directed towards the woman he wanted to diplomatically negotiate with, meaning Zelas.

"Oh?" Lina blinked in confusion. She didn't understand what was up with Gourry's answer at all.

Without any further elaboration, Gourry glanced at Xellos. "Could I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Curious about what Gourry could have in mind, Xellos agreed right away, "of course you can." He grinned cheerfully, eyes closed as usual. "Let's go," thus he teleported Gourry away.

As soon as Gourry and Xellos were gone, Lina snickered teasingly. "I see what's going on here." She glanced at Filia with a knowing look in her eyes, to which the golden dragon looked back with true confusion. "Gourry is no romance expert, but he's very sweet. Whatever advice he gives Xellos, although it might be rather simple, it will be good."

"What?" Filia shook her head. "You think Xellos is looking for romantic advice from Gourry? That piece of raw garbage would never do that!"

"And that's exactly what I mean," Lina leaned back on her chair, the knowing look still plastered on her face as she continued the quiet conversation with Filia, hopefully quietly enough for the librarian not to interrupt. "Been giving Xellos the cold shoulder, have you?"

Filia felt her face burn scarlet because Lina was very wrong in her assumption. "That's not... I haven't..." The golden dragon stumbled with her words, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Well yeah, that's what I said; you haven't... well... you know." Lina paused, her head rotating slowly from Filia to Zelgadis. The chimera had lifted his attention from his book and was staring at her with mild curiosity and a slight blush. The sorceress cleared her throat and casually mentioned. "I think I saw a book about how to cure chimeras way on the other side of the library." She pointed.

A small awkward silence passed. Zelgadis didn't believe it, but he knew how to take a very obvious hint. "Okay, I get it, girl talk. I'll do a good deed for myself and spare my ears." Thus he got up and left, yet he couldn't help it but to gravitate towards the area where Lina pointed, even if he didn't actually expect to find his cure there.

A moment of awkward silence passed until Filia finally spoke. "I really don't think Xellos is thinking about romantic advice. Besides, you and Gourry aren't even married yet, wouldn't that technically make us more experienced?"

"I'm certain you two are very... experienced... with each other..." There was something about Lina's teasing tone that didn't quite sit well with Filia, but the golden dragon decided not to point it out. "But that's not the point. I'm not talking about lemons like the ones on the novels Amelia secretly keeps under her bed." Lina paused to make sure Zelgadis had not heard her, as she wasn't sure if Amelia had shown him the books or not. He seemed to be occupied in looking through the books on the shelves on the other side of the library, good. "I'm talking about the sweet and innocent fluffy stuff."

Filia decided not to comment about Amelia's novels and instead admitted. "I honestly can't imagine Xellos being sweet, innocent and fluffy."

Pausing to give it some thought, Lina chuckled, "neither can I, but if Gourry actually teaches him that, it'll be a really big good deed."

xoxox xox xoxox

The days passed with Zelgadis growing more stressed, Filia becoming more worried and Lina's patience chipping away until it was nothing. While Xellos watched the whole process unfold with a smile, Gourry was busy preparing all sorts of gifts for Beast Master. At first, Xellos assumed it was harmless enough. Gourry was trying to butter her up so to speak, to give her many presents then ask for Amelia's freedom in return. 

Yet the gifts followed very peculiar patterns that Xellos actually took a moment to notice. This was Gourry after all, innocent, naive and loyal Gourry. Reading too deeply into his actions was usually not needed or even possible, since his actions and intentions were simple enough to be as clear as day... usually... Yet Xellos had learned that there were exceptions to practically everything.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 005: Calamity! It's Just Another Day

It was with Lina's jealous growl that an argument began between the red haired sorceress and her blond swordsman fiance. She didn't like all the gifts and attention he was directing towards Beast Master. Naturally, Gourry was clueless about Lina's anger and that only made her more upset, which concluded in her storming off out of the library that the group was, quite frankly, sick of visiting. 

With such silly thoughts and improbable possibilities placed into his head by Lina, rather than being Xellos the one who placed thoughts into everyone else's heads, the purple haired trickster decided to take a simple and straightforward approach with the situation. Gourry was not a complicated individual and he was honest, sometimes too overly sincere. The next day, Xellos would simply ask what was going on... with small words. "Gourry..." 

The swordsman answered to the sound of his name with a smile. "Hey Xellos, thanks for making all those deliveries for me. I wanted to ask you for another favor if that's okay."

Conveniently, it seemed that Gourry had been searching for Xellos in the little Coastal State village just as Xellos had been searching for him. "I will consider it," but first there was something else that needed to be done, a most imperative curiosity that needed to be addressed. "I was wondering why have you chosen these specific gifts for Beast Master?"

"The gift ideas?" Gourry pondered as if searching for the answer in his memories. He knew the information was there, he just had to dig it out of the depths of his brain. "I read about it in a book," he finally replied.

Xellos' facial features shifted slightly, from a false grin to a real one, though only those who closely knew him would be able to tell the difference. "Of course," right, it was harmless; it was nothing to be misinterpreted. "Then Lina's outburst was baseless," naturally, this was Lina Inverse, exaggerated outbursts were her specialty, though she had to be commended this time for commanding enough composure not to unleash a Dragon Slave upon the town.

Gourry frowned. "I think Lina's mad because she's worried about Amelia, so I should keep trying to follow the book's instructions, so that I can convince Zelas to free her." After such a seemingly innocent statement in which he further affirmed that he was completely ignorant about Lina's jealousy, Gourry pulled out the book from his armor. 

'How to Impress a Woman' read the title and Xellos stared than glared. "Gourry..." He growled, "let's not forget you are engaged to Lina, aren't you?" After a misunderstanding last year during which the usually smart general priest foolishly reached the wrong conclusion and believed that Milgazia and Zelas were engaged in an improper and very much forbidden romantic relationship, Xellos had become a little more protective of his master. Whether being temporarily transformed into a human and somehow retaining some human emotion after he was changed back into a monster contributed to that child-like attachment to Beast Master was anyone's guess. Although some would say that he already had a deep attachment and admiration for Zelas before that. The point was that Xellos was not amused by people trying to romance his mother.

"Yes," Gourry smiled happily and kind of love struck with an endless adoration for his precious flame haired time bomb. "That's why I want to cheer her up, Amelia is also my friend and Lina's not the only one who's worried about her. If I become Zelas' friend maybe she'll listen to me when I ask her to let Amelia go, then everyone will be happy. The book says this next plan is guaranteed to work. It says that if the flowers and the chocolate don't work I must," Gourry turned the pages and ran his finger over a specific page until he found the right line, "enchant her by the light of the full moon with an ent... intrinsic... entree..."

Impatient, Xellos peeked at the book and corrected, "enticing."

Smiling, Gourry nodded and repeated the unusual word, completing his sentence at last, "enticing serenade."

Despite it all, Xellos chuckled and patted Gourry's shoulder, "if it were anyone else, I would rip his head off." But this was Gourry, innocent, naive and loyal Gourry. He had no idea he was following the stereotypical methods to romance a woman, as far as he knew, he was just being friendly. As long as that much was clear and his master was not in any danger of being stalked by an unworthy lovesick fool, Xellos could breathe easy. In fact, he could even enjoy the jealousy that radiated from Lina. "I'm guessing you want me to teleport you to Zelas tonight during the full moon so you can share a song with her?"

"Yes," Gourry nodded happily.

Grinning in mischievous amusement, Xellos agreed," I would be happy to." Of course, he would also take Lina along for the ride; that should make things interesting.

xoxox xox xoxox

On the night of the full moon at Wolf Pack Island... The terrible song was nothing compared to the terrible rage. The source of the noise was Gourry Gabriev; the reason why it was so terrible was Xellos Metallium. The trickster insisted that he knew Zelas' tastes very well, which was indeed true. Yet at the same time it was misleading, for Xellos was not recommending a pleasant song, but a good meal.

Though Zelas might have been, and in fact was, bothered by the noise, the meal was worth it. The misery that radiated from Lina, Filia and Zelgadis was delicious. Fang, Zelas' pet monster fox chimera that came and went, occasionally crossing paths with Lina and company, was enjoying the meal too, albeit he held his fox ears flat against the sides of his head to block out the sound.

It wasn't that Gourry was a bad singer, nor was he a terrible one, normally he was pleasant enough on the ears...when he wasn't purposely trying to sound terrible in an effort to follow a peculiar style of song suggested by Xellos.

"I see..." Zelas mused aloud. "I knew a culinary genius such as myself couldn't have produced such a mediocre cook as my dear little Xellos. Monster food, that is where your skill is."

"I can cook physical food too," Xellos defended.

Since he had treated her to such delectable misery, Zelas decided to acknowledge Xellos' effort and humor him with a sarcastic reply that he firmly believed was true. "Of course you can." She ruffled his purple hair as she said this, making it more obvious that she didn't mean it, but he still believed it.

"Zelas!" Lina Inverse stepped forward, fuming. "You've gone too far! Gourry is..." Embarrassment and possessiveness fought for control of her emotions, her face as red as her hair. Finally, she shouted "Gourry is mine!"

Grinning with great amusement, Zelas pointed out, "that's not what he said in song."

That was it, Lina lost it and she could only think of one spell that stood a chance against Zelas... "Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night, shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, I call upon thee and swear myself to thee. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I po-"

"Miss Lina, please stop!" Amelia dashed over, emerging from another area of the garden where they had been taken to in Wolf Pack Island. "I just came over after feeding the wolves and have no idea what's going on, but justice will prevail and so will friendship! Let us put our past differences aside and support miss Zelas in her quest of justice for such a noble cause: to preserve the excitement of legends and keep culture alive for all to enjoy!"

"Amelia!" Zelgadis rushed towards her. "Somehow, I will save you from this brainwashing!" 

Valiant as his declaration was, Amelia merely gave him a confused look. "I'm not brainwashed." Then she smiled happily, looking very much like herself. "I'm here to help miss Zelas with her noble mission!"

Amelia did indeed appear to be in her full senses, as much as she ever was at least. "That," Zelas frowned with disapproval, "was a secret."

Amelia's "oops" only served to confuse the group further.

As it usually happened, they looked to Xellos for answers. "I did say you couldn't save Amelia... That's because she wasn't in danger anyway, so there was nothing to save her from."

"As useful as Amelia's willing help is," Zelas' glare was very foreboding. "It won't be as fun now that my-"

"Very misleading," Zelgadis dared to insert.

"Cleverly phrased reasons," Zelas corrected, "have been discovered," she finished.

"So this was all Zelas using Amelia's sense of justice to her favor," Filia frowned with disapproval.

"Never mind that!" Lina shouted. "What about Gourry? Don't you have enough with Milgazia?!"

"Lina, Amelia is safe so why are you still upset?" Gourry cluelessly asked. "I tried to be friends with Zelas so that she would let Amelia go, but it looks like everything's okay now anyway."

"Friends..." Lina twitched, "friends..." Of course Gourry's actions were innocent; he was like innocence in a human form.

Looking thoughtful, Gourry mused aloud, "maybe more than friends." The atmosphere was deadly still for that split second pause before Gourry innocently continued. "We're comrades!"

Lina let out a tired breath, Gourry wasn't even aware of her jealous outburst. When it finally looked like the fiery redhead had calmed down, the misunderstanding had been resolved, the princess and chimera lovers had been reunited and the danger had passed, something just had to go wrong. With an eerily calm demeanor that contradicted her furious glare and enhanced her lethality, Zelas inquired. "What was it that you said about Milgazia? I do hope you weren't referencing that very false rumor that we supposedly dated for a while."

Actually, Lina was referencing the even more false rumor that Zelas and Milgazia were still secret lovers, but now that her berserk fury was lost to the realization that her fiance was not in danger of being stolen, Lina wasn't about to throw away her life. "I meant to pick on him." She excused herself.

Deciding to accept the excuse, Zelas moved on to more important matters. "Since you are all more or less aware of my plans, allow me to fill you in on the finer details." Beast Master grinned mischievously. "After all, six moonlight maidens are better than one..."

Gourry remained blissfully unaware of the implications of Zelas' assertion, though he, along with Zelgadis, would soon exclaim with a great deal of dread and mortification, "you want me to wear what?!"

xoxox xox xoxox

That was how their lives had gone for the past year after the defeat of their latest big foe. Everything went on in relative peace, but with plenty of chaos to keep things lively. The days turned to months and it had already been a year and a half since the defeat of the enemy known as the Stillness. Yet the eternal struggle of opposing forces was far from over, it was as it should be, for the end of the battle would be the end of evolution... and life. None the less, there were some who grew tired of it and one of them was a being from another world, a creature known as Dark Star Dugradigdu. Unlike most of those who succumbed to apathy and simply ceased to be, Dark Star was determined to shroud the universe in a nightmare that would end in total silence... 

"Report," Zelas commanding voice echoed through her throne room at Wolfpack Island. 

Xellos stood in front of her, with a mischievous yet slightly serious expression upon his face. He opened his eyes; he only ever opened his eyes if the matter on hand was particularly serious or imperative. "The suspicions were true," he delivered the news Beast Master awaited. "Deep Sea Dolphin has been collecting chaotic energy. I have also heard rumors that she has offered Dynast Grausherra an alliance."

Beast Master chuckled mockingly, her voice ringing out with an air of supremacy. "And he'd take it too, because he has no choice. I knew that Dolphin was worried about the increase in my power above the other monster lords... but I admit I did not expect her to challenge me, let alone so directly. Dynast must be concerned as well, but he can't do much in his current state. His last encounter with Lina and my other little pets left him... bruised." Her smirk was cruel and truly like the expression of someone terribly cruel who thrived in suffering, even the suffering of her own kind. Yet her keen eyes still carried a wild refinement like an elegant wolf howling to the moon, beastly and ferocious, yet beautiful and graceful.

"What shall we do, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos carried an expression very much like that of Zelas. He already knew the answer to his question, or at least he thought he knew. To his credit, he did manage to guess half of it, but the other half would take him by surprise.

"We will..." Zelas let her statement hang, amused by how Xellos' grin grew to Cheshire cat proportions. He looked at her expectantly waiting for her to say what he wanted to hear. 

Though Xellos' missions involving Lina and her friends had not always been to do what he wanted, such as in the occasion involving Fibrizo, he didn't think that Zelas would order him to do a job he disliked this time and he did have fun traveling around. Filia would be along for the ride too and he would tease and annoy her even more than usual with the usual audience back to see her face turn red. Never mind that they've been married for over a year, he could still rile her temper and he never tired of it.

"Involve Lina Inverse," Zelas' grin grew as he watched her general priest smiling from ear to ear. She knew that he'd been wanting another mission like this. Going into the details of the plan, she elaborated. "We will collect much more chaotic energy than Dolphin and launch an attack; however, this cannot be done immediately. A lot of chaotic energy has accumulated at the bottom of the sea after last year's near apocalypse and has remained mostly untapped. I'll need to make sure I have enough to counter attack those forces because, if worse comes to worst, even if Dolphin doesn't manage to control the energy she could at least try to take me with her as a sacrifice to release it. When she's angry, she's crazy enough to try that. Although, I'm sure she won't be able to easily handle that energy, so we won't have to worry about it being used in large amounts."

"The chaotic energy that was left at the bottom of the sea came right from the Sea of Chaos during the planet's restoration last year, right? How should we go about preparing for something like that? Should we try to repeat the process and obtain more energy from the Sea of Chaos?" Xellos inquired, alert and attentive to the plan.

"No," Zelas decided. "The planet was in bad shape back then and absorbed the energy, but too much would be pushing it. Plus there's the chance that too little would be taken by the planet and I don't want to benefit it by my effort, this isn't an agricultural venture after all. We will not further involve the energy from the Sea of Chaos. Furthermore if we did, it could react to the energy that is in the bottom of the ocean and cause a chain reaction. I will not destroy this world while I'm so comfortable taking over at my own pace. It shall be destroyed only when I tire of toying with it."

Xellos liked Beast Master's choice in the matter and very much agreed. "What shall we do, then?" He wondered how in the world she planned to get around the present issues.

"We will send the surplus chaotic energy at the bottom of the ocean to the Overworld, then it'll be their problem," she grinned mischievously. Throw the time bomb into someone else's hands, that sounded like a convenient plan, for her anyway... Yet Zelas wasn't sure why such an idea was ever so persistent in her mind. It was almost as if someone had put it there, but that couldn't b it. "As for the method, we will need a more tame kind of chaotic energy, similar but not quite as... flammable as the energy from the Sea of Chaos, and a sort of device. I have a team in mind to construct the device; you need not worry about that. Your task is to obtain the fuel, we will make our own chaotic energy so that it is easier to handle. I will provide amulets to collect it, as for the situations of chaos..."

Xellos was grinning again, his eyes glowing with anticipation... literally. "That's where Lina comes in, along with her merry band of peace Slayers," as in those who slew peace with chaos, rather than those who kept it, even if they tried to.

"No," at his disconcerted look, Zelas grinned. 

"No?" Xellos tilted his head to the side, his eyes still open, but with confusion mixing with mischief in his amethyst orbs.

"That is where you come in," Zelas was truly enjoying taking Xellos by surprise. He amused her in more ways than he knew.

"Me?" He grinned as if it were a joke. "Not Lina?"

"Right," Zelas nodded in confirmation. "Lina's job will be to keep things from getting out of hand, but the chaos will come from you..." the mysterious monster lord pause dramatically than added, "and your dragon."

"Filia?" Xellos intended to involve his wife anyway, even if she didn't want to be dragged into this. Yet he didn't expect Zelas to already have a place for her in the game plan. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 006: Uninvited! A Visit From The Monster-in-law

Zelas continued explaining her plans to Xellos at Wolf Pack Island. He was puzzled about how she intended to involve Filia. "I did so enjoy my latest visit to your lovely house in Seyruun. Filia was a very amusing hostess," a hostess who was pushed to the edge of insanity by her monster mother-in-law. "Yet beneath all the chaos there is an understanding between the two of you that I find puzzling, nor do I have much of a desire to understand," and yet she already understood more than she realized. "The tales from your first meeting with the dragon girl," Zelas recalled Xellos' narrations after the Dark Star incident, "were most amusing as well as the tales that followed... There was no such understanding then, yet it was somehow developed and that brought chaos during the process. Let's go back to that, but with a twist, just for a little while."

Xellos still looked very curious and more puzzled even. "How?"

"By reviving the rivalry between you and your pet dragon." The answer Zelas provided was direct and yet so shrouded in mystery that it might as well been silence. "Let's go back to that... but with a twist this time around..." she repeated ominously and mischievously.

Xellos had no idea what Zelas was planning to do, but he had a feeling Filia would be mad at him. None the less, she would forgive him and he would enjoy the process... and in the end so would she. A million theories ran across Xellos' mind, theories in which he was an actor, but would that work? Wouldn't that mean that Filia would be more so providing the chaotic energy with her volatile emotions and not so much him with his deceptive acting? Zelas did say that he would be the source of the chaos too and why would he need Lina to keep things from getting out of hand?

"Xellos..." Zelas' voice got him out of his thoughts. "If your pet protests, do tell her that the pact is only temporary and if she still protests, tell her I'll kill her if she doesn't cooperate..." 

There was a pause during which Zelas continued grinning and Xellos' thoughts raced. A pact, Filia would have to make some sort of pact, with him, Xellos assumed. But it was temporary, so her life wouldn't be changed permanently, not that he would have minded Filia taking a permanent pledge to him. He knew that even if she protested at first, she would be okay with it in the end, she always was, she always forgave him and secretly, he was very grateful. Secretly, yet not so secret that she couldn't see it, he loved her.

"And Xellos..." Again, Zelas' voice woke him from his thoughts. "Try not to get jealous." Xellos' amethyst eyes opened a millimeter wider and he stiffened imperceptibly, yet the tiny changes were not lost to Zelas. "Really now... Do try not to get jealous," Zelas teased, "not too much at least." With such words hanging in the air, Xellos' mind raced. What in the world did Beast Master have planned for Filia?

xoxox xox xoxox

Later that day, Xellos had been sent on a certain mission to Zephilia, the hometown of Lina Inverse, though she traveled around so much that she was hardly ever there. This time however, Xellos did expect to find Lina there. He knew that Luna, the knight of Ceifeed was also in town, but she was not the reason he was visiting, Lina was. With Xellos occupied, Zelas went on a little trip of her own. She teleported herself right in the middle of the busy Seyruun main street, where passers froze and merchants ceased their peddling, the general public stared and little children clung to their mother's skirts. 

The noisy street fell eerily silent with the sudden appearance of the lady in the white dress, which showed off her tan legs nicely. The quietude lasted for several seconds until a woman, who had been in the process of examining a tomato from a merchant's booth, shyly whispered in theory, "a monster?"

The young man minding the tomato stand nodded his head in agreement before he finally remembered how to move his mouth and proceeded to metaphorically insert his foot into it. "That's one hot monster babe!" He whistled and stared in a way that would have sent Xellos on a rampage if he had been there. He was rather protective of his dear mother at times. Then in a very suicidal action, the young man proceeded to call out sensually, "I would let you feast on my lust any time, baby!" And he winked.

A gust of wind that came out of nowhere suddenly assaulted the tall stack of boxes on the neighboring booth, which were packed full of cabbages. The mountain of crates avalanched on top of the young man as the woman who had been examining the tomato jumped back with a shriek, crushing the vegetable, or fruit, as the debate seemed eternal among the vendors of Seyruun, in her hand. 

"My cabbages!" The owner of the cabbage selling booth, an elderly gentleman, exclaimed. He placed his hands on his head and fretted over his precious merchandise. "I knew it, I knew it!" He cried. "The monster race is out to destroy my cabbages!" He positioned himself in front of the remaining crates full of cabbages protectively, like a human barrier. "Back you beast, back!" He made shooing motions with his hands.

Zelas approached the cabbage vendor, which made him tremble in fright. "Put on your glasses," she calmly instructed.

Fearing for his life, and most of all for his precious cabbages, the man reached into his pocket with shaking hands. He pulled out a pair of thick glasses, with black frames and put them on. He blinked behind the spectacles several times until the tan and white blur before him became a familiar figure. He let out a breath of relief, followed by an inhale of frustration. "Why did you do that, Lady Zelas?" He pouted like a child. "Oh no! My suspicions were true, you were lying to me when you said that one day I would have my own cabbage corporation if I saved my best cabbages for your dragon cuisine side-salads. Why have you destroyed my delicious cabbages?"

Zelas shrugged with cruel nonchalance. "I can't say I agree or disagree about them being delicious, but in theory, they don't look particularly appetizing, though they are certainly decorative. That is what the salads are for, a decoration, I'm a carnivore."

"And I'm a vegetarian, but can't we all just get along?" The old man begged. "Why must my cabbages suffer?"

Zelas took in the misery of the poor old man, it was a good appetizer, but it was time to move on to the main course, Filia's barely contained wrath. "Don't worry," her smile was far from comforting, more like mocking. "Your cabbages will be famous one day..." 'One day when carriages move without horses and humans fly without magic,' she mentally mocked. 

"Really?" The man sniffled and saw a small line of hope. That was good; he couldn't suffer disappointment in the future if he gave up altogether. Zelas had learned that the best way to feed off the humans was not to crush them, but to allow them to grow again, for the fruits of their labor to be cruelly consumed once more. 

"Of course," Zelas continued grinning. She selected a cabbage and picked it up. "I'm taking this as a souvenir, bye now." She was about to disappear, teleporting to her next stop, but before she did, prince Philionel himself dashed down the street waving at her in a friendly manner.

"Zelas! Good to see you!" He caught up to the monster lord who gave him a peculiar look. "Everything was so still in the market all of a sudden that I thought something bad had happened." He looked around, assuring the citizens. "Carry on with your business everyone, carry on." Then he started walking alongside Zelas. "Amelia has learned so much in the crusade of justice she is undergoing with Zelgadis, she has written a lot about all the places she visited. I have to thank you for that, since the spell she uses to summon courier birds to deliver letters is one of yours. She had told me how she's seeing the world in a new perspective and I've been thinking, maybe we should-"

"All learn to get along, even monsters and humans? You've given me this speech before, Phil, it's not going to work. You're just lucky I have certain investments in Seyruun and have not destroyed the city. Speaking of investments, I need to make a stop here, be a gentleman and carry my things." She shoved the cabbage into his arms.

Philionel took the cabbage without protesting. He knew that Zelas didn't want to hear his same old speech again and wisely decided not to recite it. Instead he addressed a different topic while he followed her into the toy store. "There is something else I want to ask you about. I hope you're not feeling offended because of that law I passed..."

Zelas eyed the merchandise in the toy store with distaste. "You mean the law about banning Xellos' cooking in Seyruun territory, as well as forbidding it on any allied territories of Seyruun in the basis that it is a threat to humanity?" There were stuffed animals, dolls, toy soldiers, horses and carriages, building blocks, board games, card games, art supplies, children's books and a variety of other disappointingly harmless things. None of those items were appropriate, so Zelas exited the toy store. "I'm not offended at all, it's all factual information."

Philionel let out a breath of relief. "I'm glad you're not angry. I told Xellos that he was welcome to join me for some martial arts lessons as I had promised him in exchange for the cooking lessons," which severely malfunctioned, "but he seemed rather upset at me."

"Oh yes, he ranted at Filia, then came home and ranted at me because his oh so traitorous wife wouldn't take his side in the argument. Then he moved back into his room at Wolf Pack Island for a week, which he spent complaining, it was most amusing." Zelas smiled happily, not feeling an ounce of guilt over her son's peril.

"Well, I do hope I can repair our friendship," Phil sincerely voiced. 

"Keep trying," Zelas grinned, 'it would be most amusing to hear about later,' she thought. Finally reaching the place she was looking for, she entered the weapons shop. This particular store sold swords, daggers and other such bladed weapons. They didn't sell maces because the owner was afraid of declaring war, even if it was only commercial war, to a dragon. Filia's neighbors already knew what she was, thanks to some Xellos induced temper tantrums. 

"I will," Phil assured with well intended determination.

Zelas browsed through the selection of bladed weapons, while Phil stood around looking quite silly holding the cabbage. She finally selected a pair of sharp daggers, which the owner of the shop insisted that she take free of charge. Maybe it was because she was with the prince, or maybe it was because her murderous glare frightened him. She handed the daggers to Phil and, though their discussion was over, he still followed her like a personal servant because it seemed noble to carry a lady's purchases after she had requested it, even if the lady was strong enough to very easily destroy his whole kingdom without feeling the least bit tired.

They arrived in front of Filia's shop, which was actually on the second floor of the structure, the first being occupied by Elena's bakery. At the bakery, Elena was busy in the kitchen, which left Jillas to mind the store front with Palou and Val helping out. "See you later, Phil," Zelas dismissed the prince, taking the items that he carried for her, the cabbage and the two daggers.

"Sure," Phil decided to take his cue, though it wouldn't be so easy to walk away after the next thing that happened. Zelas stomped hard on Phil's right big toe, causing the prince to yelp in pain and hop away down the street before the monster lord decided to express herself further. He told himself that he had to respect cultural differences and forgive her if she was a little rough. She meant no harm, he told himself; after all, people saw him as being a little rough too and he knew he meant well.

Zelas took in the nutrients from Phil's pain as her energy was about to be assaulted by point blank feelings of affection directed straight at her in three, two, one... "Aunty Zelas!" Val and Palou chorused as they ran to her, because she was far too young looking to be referred to as granny, though she was in a sense, Val's grandmother. 

"Hi kids," Zelas grinned and from behind the bakery's front counter, Jillas groaned. His stress was good to have in the background as she kneeled to the boys' eye level and allowed her future minions, current mischief makers, to hug her. She kissed each of them on the forehead and presented them with the daggers. "I've brought you each a present."

The ancient dragon boy and the fox beastchild squealed in delight as they received their shiny new toys. Jillas' stress became more apparent on his face. Elena and Filia would be upset if they saw the boys playing with such dangerous looking sharp daggers. The boys on the other hand were nothing short of overjoyed. They immediately started having a play swordfight with the daggers, forgetting about helping out at the bakery.

Zelas left the boys to their games and smiled in amusement at Jillas as she made her way up the stairs to the maces and vases shop that occupied the second floor. 

Upstairs, Zelas found Gravos cleaning up one side of the store while Filia tended to a customer on the other. Zelas waved in a fake friendly manner, which made Filia almost drop the vase that was about to be purchased. She hurried to finish the sale as quickly as possible and sent the customer on her way. Filia forced herself to smile and, through clenched teeth, greeted the monster lord. "Hello, Lord Beast Master, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Zelas threw the cabbage at Filia's face, though the golden dragon was ready for such an action and caught it on time before it hit her. "I'm just dropping by for a visit. Look, I brought you a cabbage, since you're a vegetarian."

"I'm not a vegetarian," Filia clarified plainly. 

"Really? Then how come you wouldn't eat any roasted boar last time I had you over for dinner?" Zelas asked, feigning surprise and puzzlement. 

The boar, specifically, Filia feared was dragon cuisine disguised as something else, though Xellos had told her time and again that it was actually boar. Albeit she didn't like how his method of assuring her was by saying that he had eaten lots of dragon cuisine and easily recognized it when he tasted it. However, she decided not to reference dragon cuisine and instead replied, "for the same reason I didn't eat any of the food, I thought you might poison me."

"Silly girl," Zelas proceeded to pinch Filia's cheek simply because she knew that the action would infuriate the golden dragon to no end. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already."

"Poison isn't necessarily lethal," Filia pointed out as a matter of fact, "but it can be very painful."

"Not as painful as other things," Zelas smiled with a sweetness similar to Xellos and Filia decided that she did not want the conversation to continue in that direction.

"I'm going to put the cabbage in the kitchen," Filia declared. 'To throw away later,' she mentally added. The golden dragon glanced meaningfully at Gravos, who nodded, indicating that he would take care of the store while she tended to the uninvited visitor. 

Zelas followed Filia to the living area of the second floor and took a seat in front of the kitchen counter. She placed her elbows on the countertop and observed as Filia's eyebrows twitched slightly into a more annoyed expression no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She didn't like it when people unnecessarily put their elbows on tables and was that ever really necessary? From Filia's perspective, it wasn't.

"So..." Zelas began as Filia took a seat next to her on the counter. "Why don't you tell me your version of the cooking incident? I already heard Xellos' version of it. It was the story of a martyr of a chef... perhaps you can add something to it."

Filia huffed, "martyr indeed," she recalled the event. She wouldn't lower her guard, but maybe she could entertain Zelas long enough with the story so that she would tire of hanging around and leave. "It all began when Xellos told Philionel that he was a great cook and that his skills as a chef had vastly improved. Everyone knows that Xellos is a terrible cook, even Phil, but he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he had improved."

"That's not entirely true," Zelas interrupted. "Xellos does have some culinary talent, but it lies in monster food."

Seeing it from that perspective, Filia realized that it was a fact. "I suppose he is really good at concocting annoyance and other such unpleasant emotions." The golden dragon cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, Phil, for some unknown reason, decided that he wanted to cook and agreed to give Xellos some martial arts lessons if he gave him cooking lessons. Xellos went off early one morning in that silly fluffed up white hat and frilly pink apron of his."

"The one with the picture of the yellow ducky on the front?" Zelas interrupted again, just to be annoying.

"Yes, that one." Truthfully, Filia thought the garment was rather cute, but not on men... Okay maybe she thought it was cute on Xellos, but only sometimes... like whenever he wore it. "So," she continued the story. "Philionel shut down the royal kitchen so that he and Xellos could work undisturbed and the disaster began. I'm not sure what it was they were trying to cook, but I'm pretty sure explosions are not edible, then there was that nasty foul smelling gas that spread all over the castle and made people's faces turn green for three days..."

To be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 007: Crazy! This Is Our Life

Flashback... Though the Seyruun royal kitchen was shut down until further notice, a few of the castle guards were curious enough to discretely peek in. Seeing the odd purple haired man who was actually a monster in a pink apron and fluffy white hat was not something to bat an eye at. They had seen him wearing stranger things during the past year which included a rather form fitting red dress in a very believable female disguise among other things. However, seeing their crown prince, king actually, wearing a similar get up was... well it wasn't all that strange either. The king had crazy friends after all, and friends tended to influence each other. Thus without any comments, the curious guards went on their way.

As for the king, as he had officially taken the position about a year ago after the death of his elderly father, he adjusted his fluffy white hat and paid attention to his teacher. Despite being king though, most were still used to seeing him as the eternal prince, since he held the title for so long after becoming the acting ruler, nothing really changed after he became the official ruler. Said king was currently engrossed in the task of stirring a bowl full of a strange mixture that Xellos assured would become a cake if placed in the oven.

"Now we need to add some pepper." Xellos reached into the pocket of his apron, shaking his head at Philionel, who had began to search for pepper in the many kitchen cabinets. "This is a special pepper; it's imported from far away." There was indeed a special pepper made with a secret recipe of the fox beastmen. However, Xellos was not able to find it and what he actually stole from Jillas was a very potent gun powder. He added half of the jar to his dough and gave the rest to Phil to add to his.

The pair continued stirring the dough in silence for a while until Xellos began to hum. Phil soon joined him until they were all out singing a peculiar tune that Xellos had written in case he needed to summon Lina's temperamental wrath. He was so amused by his musical creation that he shared it with everyone, except Lina, he would save that for an emergency. It was odd for a monster to come up with a song, that could almost be seen as a spell, which triggered a human's power to flare along with her temper, but Lina Inverse was certainly special. Xellos had even sung his lyrics to Beast Master and she enjoyed it, even joining in to sing along with him.

"Watch out, look out, take cover, run for your life, it's over." Xellos and Phil lightly danced from side to side as they sang. "Here comes the crimson fury, if you don't run... You'll be sorry!" They started moving their hips left and right to the tune of the song. "A little girl, a tiny lass, her fragile temper made of glass. She's got a right hook made of brass, she's the worse disaster that's come to pass!" The batter was ready and the two wanna-be cooks placed it into molds. The mixture looked green with a bunch of odd herbs and condiments that Xellos insisted on adding.

"Dragon spooker, bandit killer, she's no looker, has no figure, she's so violent, call the healer, only true pain she'll deliver!" The molds were placed into the oven and a fire was lit to make the temperature go up inside the enclosed space. As they waited for their masterpieces to bake, Xellos and Philionel continued singing and dancing, joining hands and spinning around the kitchen.

"She should really be arrested, her gluttony is uncontested!" Phil twirled Xellos around, spinning him away then back towards him. "With utter chaos she's infected," their steps were in perfect sync, their hands were joined, Xellos' other hand on Phil's shoulder and Phil's other hand on Xellos' waist. "And she's really, really flat chested!" As Xellos was dipped, he threw his head back, but his fluffy white hat defied gravity and didn't fall off. From an upside-down angle, he saw the oven's metal glowing red with sparks flying from its interior making their way out from the small openings on the door of the oven. As Phil pulled him to an upright position again, rather than continuing the song, Xellos performed an emergency teleportation which very likely saved Philionel's life.

A huge explosion rattled the castle, making the very earth tremble! The kitchen and its surrounding areas were left in complete ruins. A few guards near the sector were injured and had to receive emergency medical attention from the healers. A vast green smoke invaded the castle, which had to be evacuated. All those who were unfortunate enough to inhale the smoke spent the next few days with green faces riving in pain.

xoxox xox xoxox

Back in the present time, Filia finished her story about the events that led Xellos' cooking to become illegal in Seyruun. "That's the whole story as Philionel told me. Xellos had his own version which was sort of truthful, but with a lot of his own perspective thrown in, which made it sound like a whole different story. He got angry at me when I took Phil's side and... Well, I guess you know the rest. He disappeared for a week, so I figured he had gone back to Wolf Pack Island."

"A pity that he didn't divorce you," Zelas sipped her tea, which Filia had prepared for them while she told the story. The golden dragon decided not to comment about the divorce, or lack thereof. Moving on to the next topic, but still not the main issue that she had come to address, Zelas inquired. "How is Solex?"

"He's fine..." Filia replied with a hint of worry in her voice. Solex was by Xellos' initial conclusion, his minion, a creature made out of his own energy mixed with the energy of a golden dragon for the purpose of severing the monster energy from its original. He was made by a past enemy who had stolen Xellos' power, but the being, at the time without a name, had a mind of his own and with it, the ability to choose his own loyalties. Thus he became as Filia's child. Yet he was an unstable creation as he was made forcefully, rather then by his master's will. Eventually, he came close to disappearing, but was preserved by being given a vessel to possess, a vessel made especially for him by means of a potion which caused Filia to lay an empty egg, which was not empty for long. Yet a year passed by and the child had not hatched.

Filia wasn't worried for Zelas. As far as she knew, the monster lord would rather preserve Xellos' little minion alive. Since then Xellos had recovered his full power, but Beast Master could never have too many allies, especially one who could be potentially powerful if the combination of dragon and monster favored him. He could be as Valgaav was, but loyal to her. Filia's fears were, she realized with surprise, worse than that. Zelas was certainly someone to worry about, but at least she was an entity that, albeit stubborn, could be reasoned with. Situations were different from entities; they happened for better or worse and had no mind to be changed. What if the whole process had failed?

"You worry for him," Zelas concluded, the expression was plainly visible on Filia's face and the taste of her peril was strong. "There is nothing to be done except wait." It was not a consolation, as Zelas had no intentions of speaking such things, very much less to Filia of all people, let Xellos console her if he so chose to do so.

Yet Filia found a small measure of comfort and at the same time, hopelessness. Not even Zelas with all her power, knowledge and cunning could do more than what was done. Solex would live, or die, or perhaps exist in an eternal comatose dream within a dragon egg full of monster energy.

"Has Xellos told you about my visit?" Zelas changed the subject, moving on to the main reason for her presence at Seyruun.

"Yes," Filia had dreaded this moment. She wasn't expecting Zelas to visit when she did. When the time came for her to explain the pact that was, according to Xellos, temporary, but Filia dreaded all the same, the golden dragon expected the general priest to be there. If Zelas came by herself, Filia had hoped, she was there to address something else. Yet her hopes were dashed and it was time to face her fears. "He didn't tell me what the pact was about, only that it was temporary and that if I resisted, I would be killed." He had sounded annoyingly cheery as he explained it too, for the most part at least. "And he..." Filia paused and left it at that, wondering if she should mention the strange event.

xoxox xox xoxox

Flashback... Xellos' periodical visits to Wolf Pack Island had become rather frequent. At first Filia paid it no mind, though not long ago he spend a whole week over, perhaps it wasn't enough. Maybe even a monster got homesick at times, maybe he was entertained hanging around his mother all day and playing with her many pet wolves, or maybe there was some terrible plot in the making. As there was little to be done about it before she knew what she was up against, Filia decided to fight that fire if, and most likely when, it burned, hopefully not literally. 

When Xellos returned, things seemed normal enough. He played with Val for a little while and was especially creative about suggesting mischievous things to do to poor Phil. Yet that was likely due to some lingering resentment over the whole illegal cooking law, he'd get over that soon enough, Filia reasoned. Everything seemed more or less calm as Filia put Val to bed and went to check on Solex. The glowing translucent sphere with swirls of black and gold inside it was the same as ever. She spoke softly to it, as if the monster dragon child inside could hear her, and she believed he could. Then she went to bed.

Tired from a busy day at the shop, Filia was in no mood to fall victim to a prank from Xellos. The reason for her suspicion was his very cheerful face. She guarded her back as if she were in the middle of a tempestuous battlefield as she got ready for bed. Finally, she examined the bed analytically before climbing into it, where Xellos met her suspicious glare with amused curiosity. "Did you lose something, stupid dragon?"

"My sanity," Filia admitted, "back when I married you, raw garbage." Cautiously, she snuggled to him, her tail slightly twitching behind her as if she was ready to jump into a defensive stance. 

"Because I'm so attractive it's crazy?" Xellos teased.

Filia's eyes met his as she searched for something in the amethyst orb that stared back at her in a reverse wink, a hidden purpose, a well kept secret, something. "Is there something you need to say to me?"

"Yes, actually," Xellos admitted, seeing as Filia could read him like a book. When did she become so good at it? "There is a pact you must make," Filia's face constrained with the shaping of a defensive argument in her mind. "And before you protest, let me assure you that it is temporary." She pulled away to glare at him while he continued. "And if you refuse, Beast Master will kill you, so if I must, I'll force you into it myself."

His eyes were both open now, denoting that he was completely serious. She knew she had no choice and she huffed in indignation. "What do I have to do?"

"That is a secret," Xellos replied with a smiled, his eyes closing again.

"Tell me," Filia demanded dryly. It was bad enough that she had no choice but to accept a sort of pledge, even if it was temporary, on top of that she wouldn't be kept in suspense. 

"It is a secret, even to me," Xellos confessed. He watched as Filia's face showed surprise, then worry. She bit her lip as if she couldn't decide what to think. The last time Zelas had a secret plot that she kept even from Xellos, it turned out to be a pretty a big ordeal, a very life changing ordeal indeed. "It'll be alright though; they say idiots always come out on top." He pushed her head gently back on his shoulder, fingers entangled in her long golden hair. 

"And you trust Beast Master," Filia added, her voice a little muffled against Xellos' chest. "You're very loyal to her..." 'She won't hurt you, right?' Filia mentally asked and if she had a positive answer to that, she felt that she could include her own as well as Val and Solex's safety in that. 

"Speaking of loyalty," Xellos' tone was still cheerful, but there was something more mixed in, curiosity, a hint of worry, puzzlement and confusion. "Always stay loyal to me, stupid dragon."

Filia could have rolled her eyes and dismissed the comment at any other time, because he knew she was and always would be. Yet this time, it puzzled her. "Xellos?"

"Go to sleep," the conversation was over, he decided.

Filia knew that she would get no further information out of him. "Good night, raw garbage."

xoxox xox xoxox

Present time... Zelas raised an eyebrow at the way Filia suddenly ceased her speech. "And he, what?" The monster lord curiously prompted.

"He told me to always be loyal to him," Filia revealed. She observed the blossoming of understanding on Zelas' face. Just as she thought, those words had not been random, they had a meaning that Xellos didn't reveal or perhaps didn't fully understand, but Zelas knew it.

Zelas made no motion to hide the fact that she knew what that was about. In fact, she made it obvious as she laughed. "His theory is way off," she chuckled. "Who'd want an ugly thing like you anyway? I would have my work cut out for me finding you a suitor to steal you away." After she was done laughing, long before Filia was done pouting, Zelas elaborated. "I told Xellos not to be jealous and it seems he misinterpreted my advice. Oh but I do hope he doesn't get jealous over a temporary arrangement like this. I shall have to tell him, after he recovers, that he is indeed my favorite general priest."

"He's your only general priest," Filia pointed out as a matter of fact.

Zelas' eyes shone with mischief, "not for long." She grinned forebodingly. "That will be your job for a while."

Filia's jaw dropped as she struggled to force her throat to produce sounds. Finally, she managed to push out an unsure, "excuse me?"

"Your stupidity is excused," Zelas smiled sweetly, with an expression very much like that of Xellos. "But I shall not go easy on you; do your job well, my minion. Come now, it is time to make preparations."

"Preparations?" Filia sunk into her chair. "But I can't be your general priest. What would the other dragons think?"

"Isn't Milgazia's clan the only one willing to receive you now a days?" Zelas reminded.

"Yes, and he'd be so disappointed!" Filia frowned. Though she went through a period during which she almost completely shunned her own race, she had gotten over that and found a friend in Milgazia. He was wise and caring, more open than the other dragons but at the same time sticking to his principals strongly. He had led his clan to achieve a balance that took many years to form, but it was now finally showing. 

Zelas shrugged, "couldn't you just call him a hypocrite then?"

"How so?" Filia fretted.

"He plays brass rackets with me now and then. In other words, he has no problems with putting up with my whims. Why should you, my dear daughter-in-law?" Zelas teased.

"He only plays to keep you busy so you won't turn his clan into dragon cuisine. He amuses you to protect them!" Filia argued.

"Yes, I know, now it's your turn to amuse me to protect yourself," Zelas gave her a predatory grin.

Filia sighed as she frowned. This was no argument because really, who could argue with Zelas? "I guess I have no choice, but I really don't know how to do Xellos' job, so please don't take it out on anyone innocent if I accidentally mess up."

"Don't worry, your mission will not be particularly difficult and you'll have Lina to help guide you," Zelas offered.

Lina... when the monster race involved Lina Inverse, there was something big going on. Filia suspected that, even if Xellos wasn't aware of the specifics of Beast Master's plan concerning her, he must know about the general situation, perhaps even of the goal of the plan. "Lina... Lina Inverse..." Filia spoke the name in a whisper. She let out a breath that mixed exhaustion with nostalgia. "It seems another crazy adventure is about to start."

Zelas smiled, her face showing real joy, "a very chaotic adventure indeed."

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, before Xellos had gone to Zephilia, Lina and Gourry had arrived in the town. Lina and Luna's parents, Light and Labyrinthine Inverse, welcomed their daughter and her fiance happily. Labyrinthine, whose name Gourry couldn't pronounce for the life of him, received him with appetizers and the promise of a big meal that was almost done. Naturally, Gourry was most pleased with the welcome and gladly continued to call Labyrinthine 'mom' as she had previously requested in a past visit. 

Soon Gourry got caught up with Light, aka 'dad', in a conversation about the swords and sword-fighting styles that he had seen during his travels. Lina knew that they would remained caught up in their little world of swords until the food was ready and let them have their future father and son-in-law bonding time. The red haired sorceress retreated to the kitchen to help her mother finish preparing everything, which meant that Mrs. Inverse would spend more time stopping her youngest daughter from eating the half cooked food and less time actually preparing the meal, but she was glad to see her little Lina again and welcomed the so called help anyway.

Luna was off working at the cafe as a waitress. She would get off work early that day and would very soon join the rest of her family to catch up on the latest happenings of Lina's adventures that were not communicated via letters, or were simply better off told and half-reenacted in person. The knight of Ceifeed arrived as expected and the meal commenced. Gourry and Lina actually minded their manners more than usual, as if wanting to give a good, responsible and mature impression. 

When Lina and Gourry had become engaged, it was due to a misunderstanding which made them legally married. Rather than breaking up entirely and getting a divorce, they decided to remain engaged instead, after the situation pushed them to be more open about their feelings. Gourry had told her than that she should tell him when she was ready to be his wife, hinting that he would be willing to marry her right away if she so wished it. As for Lina, she had hinted that she had something to tell Gourry and also that she wanted to visit her hometown. He played along, clueless of her true intentions, but he would soon find out, as Lina intended to soon tell him she was finally ready. Yet as it often happened with situations concerning Lina Inverse, chaos is just around the corner and nothing ever turns out as planned.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 008: Pain! Heartbroken Fury

At Zephilia, the atmosphere was merry in the Inverse household. The group had just finished a meal and Luna conveniently suggested that Lina should help with the dishes. "You too dad," Luna added, purposely doing so before Light could resume his conversation about swords with Gourry. The blond swordsman was about to follow the majority into the kitchen with plates to be washed, but Luna took them off his hands and gave them to Lina. "The guest shouldn't do the dishes."

Lina struggled to balance a mountain of plates that was taller than her. "What about you, Luna?" She asked with guarded irritation from behind the barrier of ceramic. 

"Don't worry, I'll take care of entertaining the guest," Luna offered, purposely misinterpreting Lina's comment. The younger Inverse daughter knew better than to question her sister, thus she went off to the kitchen along with her parents.

Gourry shifted uncomfortably as he felt Luna's eyes examining him critically. "Um... shouldn't we go help them?"

"I want to talk to you," Luna indicated. She moved from the dinning area to the living room and sat down on the couch, motioning for Gourry to take a seat as well.

The swordsman sat across from the knight of Ceifeed. The atmosphere was serious and tense; it was making him terribly uncomfortable. He shifted and looked into Luna's face. Her hair was in a similar style to Xellos', perhaps an inch or two longer. The bangs were noticeably longer though, enough to cover her eyes with a deep purplish crimson-curtain. He thought he saw her eyes flicker with eerie lights behind the hair, but it might have been his imagination.

"So, you want to marry my sister," Luna spoke abruptly. 

Gourry sat up straight and adopted a serious expression. "Yes, ma'am," he had never felt like this before. Luna's energy was practically pulsating in the atmosphere around her.

"It would be a pity if she didn't feel the same way," Luna continued seriously.

"It's okay," Gourry took her words with optimism. "I can wait until she's ready."

Luna shook her head and tilted her face downward slightly, as if expressing pity. "What would you do if she broke up with you?"

Time felt like it stood still. Gourry had to tell himself not to stay frozen, to ask, "what makes you say that?"

"Answer my question," Luna's voice was commanding, as she was true to the title of knight of Ceifeed. 

"I would..." Gourry thought about what he didn't want to think about. "I would be sad."

"And then you'd leave her side?" Luna's question was laced with a protective tone that was almost threatening.

"No," Gourry replied sincerely. "I'm Lina's protector... Although she's strong enough to protect herself, I can still help. Besides, I can protect her from other things, like being lonely or bored. I'll stay by her side, unless she tells me to leave. But even then I wouldn't go too far, so that if she calls me I'll hear and I'll be there right away."

"She's a selfish brat you know," Luna pointed out.

Gourry smiled fondly, "I know, I don't picture her to be an angel, she's a human being with flaws and virtues. She's a hot tempered loud mouth, greedy little brat, but all of that can be cute when it's on Lina. She's also brave, determined and energetic, and I..."

"You?" Luna prompted.

"I love her," Gourry finished.

Luna smiled as if this was exactly the kind of answer she was looking for. She saw the look in Lina's eyes; she knew her little sister was ready to spend her whole life with this man. She just wanted to make sure beyond a doubt that he was right for her. 

Before the eldest Inverse daughter could express her support, Lina emerged from the kitchen. "Mom and dad said I didn't have to hang around doing the dishes," she excused herself with Luna.

"Very well, I'll go help them then." Luna got to her feet, she seemed rather cheerful, Lina silently noted. "Why don't you and Gourry go out for a walk?"

Lina nodded eagerly, she had to talk to Gourry in private anyway and there was no time like the present. "Let's go, Gourry!" She practically dragged him out of the house, though he opposed no resistance.

xoxox xox xoxox

After taking a nice relaxing stroll through town, waving to childhood neighbors and taking in the fresh air and peaceful atmosphere, Gourry and Lina arrived at the Zephilia park. They found a secluded spot under the shade of a large tree and sat down to talk. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you," Lina shifted somewhat nervous. She already knew what Gourry's answer would be, or at least she thought she knew, but it was still hard to communicate this. 

"What is it?" Gourry smiled in a friendly and encouraging way, like he often did.

"We've been together for a long time, haven't we?" Lina asked a rhetorical question and continued before Gourry could answer it, because he didn't really know what a rhetorical question was. "Our relationship has also changed overtime," she blushed. "And I was thinking it's time for a change."

Gourry felt time stop again as a feeling of deja vu sunk into the pit of his stomach. Had Luna been trying to warn him of this? Was Lina breaking up with him? "I... I understand..." He voiced sadly.

Lina mistook his tone for being a little nervous, "really?" If he actually took the hint, which she certainly wasn't expecting, and propose, it would save her a lot of effort. "Then you agree?"

Gourry's eyes were on the green grass that covered the ground; he didn't want to look at Lina. He said he would stay by her side and he meant it, but he couldn't look at her now. Perhaps this was what heartbreak felt like. "Let's stay friends; even if we break up, I still want to be your friend." Gourry told himself to be strong as he put on a cheerful mask for Lina's sake and smiled at her. 

Gourry's smile was very false and forced, but Lina was too shocked to take note of his expression as his words rung out repeatedly in her head. Pain took hold of her, extinguishing all other emotions along with her use of reason. Then came the anger. It was like a wildfire that lit up inside her and spread from the center of her body to her limbs down to the tips of her hair. Her face was red; her eyes flared with heartbroken wrath and one might have mistaken her for Ruby Eyes himself. "Get lost!" She screamed murderously.

Gourry looked like a kicked puppy. "But Lina, can't we be friends?" He whimpered sadly.

"Leave me alone! I'm sick and tired of you; I don't even know how I put up with you in the first place. You're nothing but a useless idiot who's always in my way. I never want to see you again!" Lina's shouting resounded strongly, but it was all distant to her. It was as if she was watching a tragic scene in a terrible play full of bad taste drama. But it was real, it was real and it hurt.

"Lina..." Gourry frowned, eyes reflecting a deep sorrow.

Blinded by painful fury, Lina began to chant a familiar spell, her face was haunted as if she had been possessed by something terrible, but the only thing possessing her was her own deep pain. "Darkness beyond twilight..."

Gourry gasped in disbelief, was she really attacking him? "Lina, wait!"

She continued the spell as if she couldn't hear him. "Crimson beyond blood that flows..."

Realizing that there was no way to reason with her, Gourry decided to leave for the time being. "Goodbye Lina... If you ever need me, just call, I won't be too far away." Then he ran away without looking back.

"Buried in the stream of time..." Lina's voice grew softer as Gourry disappeared in the distance, until it was a barely audible whisper. "Buried in the..." The power that she held in her hands dissipated as she lost her focus on the spell. "Buried..." She fell to her knees, hands gripping blades of grass and ripping them off the ground as abundant tears of agony flowed down her face. "Gourry..." she sobbed quietly and remained that way for she didn't know how long.

Some time later, "oh my..." A familiar, somewhat nasal, male voice accompanied the redhead's agony. "Have I arrived at a bad time?" Xellos leaned over curiously, wondering what the feast of sorrow was about. It was nutritious yes, but he didn't like sorrow much, he found its taste to be somewhat bland. He very much preferred wrath, it was spicy and delicious. Lina was usually a good source of that, but today she had fallen apart and she wasn't even responding to him. "Lina?" He had to wonder if she had even heard him. This was becoming somewhat unnerving; Lina Inverse did not fall apart easily. "Lina?" Xellos placed his hand on her shoulder and that seemed to wake her up.

With an echoing wail that would put a banshee to shame, Lina jolted to her feet, took hold of Xellos' shirt with her grass stained gloves and buried her face on his chest. Her mad wailing continued until she felt Xellos shift and her gut instinct told her he was about to say something stupid, something that would most likely further infuriate her. She was most certainly not in the mood to be teased. "Shut up and console me, useless item number four!"

"Useless?" Xellos repeated somewhat offended. Not only was he still number four on the list, but now he was a useless item rather than a useful one.

"Now!" Lina screamed into his face with such a commanding voice paired with such a murderous look that Xellos felt compelled to hug her.

"There, there, don't cry... Or at least tell me why you're crying," Xellos inquired. From the corner of his eyes he saw Gourry hidden among the shrubbery of the park several feet away. 

The blond swordsman observed the scene for a moment and, when he was sure that Lina had a friend to comfort her, only then did he go on his way. He would have to thank Lina's family for their hospitality and remove himself from the scene before Lina returned home; he didn't want to make things harder for her.

xoxox xox xoxox

Gourry hurried back to the Inverse house. The dishes were finished in record breaking time, thanks to some magical creativity, and Light was out in front of the house polishing some swords. He wanted to have a little spar with Gourry in memory of his younger days as a mercenary before he settled down in Zephilia and opened the Inverse general store. "Welcome back, son. Lina's not with you? Ah, she must have gotten caught up with the neighborhood girls; she must have many stories to tell them." Then he realized that Gourry wasn't all there and a sad expression hung heavy on his face. "What's the matter?"

Frowning, Gourry hung his head, feeling as if he should be apologizing. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have the right to call you father anymore. Lina... Miss Inverse is... she has decided she doesn't want me by her side..."

Light was taken aback by the revelation. As far as he could tell, his younger daughter and the traveling swordsman were very close to each other, very much in love. They reminded him of himself and his wife when they were younger. "What happened?"

Gourry shook his head, "I'm not sure and maybe that's at least part of the problem. I wasn't able to please Lina; I guess I wasn't smart enough to figure out what she wanted."

Light was still shocked. He put down the swords he was working on and approached Gourry, placing a hand on his shoulder in a fatherly fashion. "Don't you do that, my boy. Don't go doubting yourself like that. I did that too, you know. I would sometimes ask myself, what can a beautiful sorceress like Labyrinthine want with a mercenary like me? And because of my doubts I pushed her feelings away for far too long. But in the end, we worked things out and here we are."

Gourry nodded, his head was too crowded with thoughts and feelings he didn't understand, so he really wasn't up to analyzing anything, not that he ever was, but this time he didn't even have his innocent optimism to fall back on. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you for everything." Though he said that, Gourry was unable to absorb the full meaning of Light's words or the hint that he was telling him to be persistent and chase after Lina.

Without another word, Gourry entered the house. Labyrinthine was arranging some fresh flowers on a vase in the living room, a vase that had been made by Filia. Luna was sitting on the couch reading an ancient looking tome. Both women looked at Gourry as he entered the living room and gave them an apologetic sounding, "excuse me," before heading towards the guest room to fetch what little luggage he carried. 

Gourry headed for the front door again to find that Labyrinthine and Luna had remained as still as statues; though these particular statues strongly demanded an explanation with their eyes. "I'm sorry, but I must leave, it's best for Lina if I'm gone when she returns. She doesn't want me here anymore. I'm grateful for your kindness and hospitality; I'll always remember my visits to your home."

Labyrinthine's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape. The crimson flower she was holding slipped out of her grasp and fell on the table beside the vase. At the same time, Luna raise an eyebrow invisible behind the thick curtain of deep purplish-crimson overgrown bangs that nearly touched her nose. Her eyes flickered again, as if they held unnatural lights, lights that demanded answers and would not accept silence.

Gourry was too sad to be afraid of the eerie atmosphere that suddenly surrounded Luna. He met the lights beneath the hair that fell over them with his own gaze and reaffirmed his earlier promise. "I'll keep my word," he assured. "I won't bother Lina, but if she calls for me, I'll be there for her." With those final noble words left hanging in the air, Gourry exited the Inverse house for what he feared would be his last visit ever to Lina's family.

xoxox xox xoxox

A little later, at the park, Lina sniffled and parted from Xellos, not caring that she dirtied his shirt with grass stains. "None of your business," she sobbed. At least it looked like she was starting to calm down. Then she caught sight of the tree she and Gourry had been sitting under. The letters GL were carved into it inside a heart, it had been something Gourry did during the last visit to Zephilia and Lina didn't want to look at it. With a fierce battle cry, she gathered fire in her hands, "fireball!" And burned the tree to ashes.

"Freeze arrow!" A rather large arrow of ice collided with the flames, becoming water and extinguishing them on contact, before the fire could spread through the park. The one who had casted the spell was none other than the knight of Ceifeed herself, Luna Inverse. "What trouble are you causing, beast priest?"

Xellos raised his hands, palms forward, in a sign of defense. "It wasn't me."

Tears had started flowing down Lina's face again after her tantrum. Gourry had been so sweet to her that day and the precious happy memory was now a tragic painful one. Who ever said that it was better to have loved and lost than to not love at all was a big liar! With such bitterness in her heart, Lina started wailing again. She turned around abruptly and ran to her sister, "Lu... Lu..." she sobbed, "Luna!" She dashed past Xellos, shoving him aside carelessly in the process and clung to her sister for consolation.

This was Luna, the sister that Lina both feared and respected, but Xellos was so bad at consoling people that Lina had to rely on Luna. "Shh... it's okay... don't cry..." Luna caressed her sister's hair gently until her wails became hiccupping sobs and she eventually calmed down. "Now," the knight of Ceifeed parted from Lina slightly to look into her red puffy eyes. "Tell me what happened."

"Gourry..." Lina whimpered, "he broke up with me."

Luna noticed the discrepancy between their versions of the event right away. "You didn't break up with him?"

Lina shook her head vigorously. "No, he broke up with me and offered to stay friends, but I yelled at him and threatened him with a Dragon Slave."

"I see..." Luna observed. From what she could perceive, there was some kind of misunderstanding going on, though the knight of Ceifeed never would have guess that she was directly linked to the root of the misunderstanding. Those had not been her intentions, she was merely protecting her little sister, making sure that the man she chose was worthy of her. Gourry had earned her approval and this turn of events was most unexpected. Yet Lina was the only one who could fix this, Lina and Gourry, it was up to them. "Perhaps you shouldn't shut him out completely. Why not accept his friendship? It might blossom into more before you know it."

Lina stubbornly shook her head. "I'm never falling in love again." She furrowed her brow and stomped her feet in determination. 

Luna sighed, "if you say so," albeit it would be easier said than done.

"Ehem..." Xellos cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he had been ignored and he didn't like it. "If you're quite done with your bizarre sisterly bonding moment, I would like to speak to Lina about business."

Luna glared, "you will do no such thing." Power gathered around her, it was the energy of Ceifeed.

"Wait, Luna," Lina interjected, stepping forward between her sister and Xellos. "I kind of need this right now, a distraction. If I know Xellos, his business will be something troublesome, but I'll deal with it."

Luna ruffled Lina's hair, "don't do something I wouldn't do." Then she began to walk away, stopping after only a few steps. "And you," her eyes glowed behind her long bangs as she looked right at Xellos who, for a brief instant opened his purple eyes, "don't put Lina through unnecessary trouble."

Then the mask of cheer was back on Xellos' face as he chirped in assurance. "I would never," and smiled with false innocence.

After Luna left, Lina squared her shoulders and adopted a serious look upon her face. "What was it that you wanted to talk about, Xellos?"

Xellos grinned as he finally went down to business. "Lord Beast Master has a job for you. It involves going on another journey, but the specifics of your role were not revealed even to me. Zelas wants to speak to you in person concerning the details."

Lina didn't have a guess about what could be going on, at least not yet. "I suppose I have no choice but to hear her out. Alright, let's go."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 009: Impulse! A Step Forward and Ten Back

Wolves howled as the sea washed against the shores of Wolf Pack Island. Xellos led Lina inside the hidden palace underground, towards Zelas' throne room. "You really are a stubborn one," Zelas' voice was heard, coming from down the hall. "At least you are named correctly." As she emerged from another hallway and into their view, Lina and Xellos realized that there was something peculiar attached to the bottom of her white dress. It was a young wolf-dog with yellow fur and blue eyes. The female was a little over a year old and she was playfully chewing on the ivory fabric in an attempt to get her master's master to play with her.

"Fili," As soon as Xellos spoke the name, the wolf-dog released the fabric of Zelas' dress and ran to Xellos, trying to jump on him. Xellos caught her, but he set her down again. "You're too big to jump into my arms like that."

"Fili has visited her kind long enough, go drop off your pet in Seyruun." Zelas dismissed.

Xellos knew it was his cue to leave Lina alone with Beast Master. "I'll be back in a little while." He teleported away, taking the wolf-dog with him, Val and Palou would be glad to have her back. Zelas never liked her much, though she had a level of tolerance for Fili that amazed even Xellos. The wolf-dog hybrid was the daughter of one of her favorite wolves, Chaos, and Milgazia's dog, Justice, needless to say, Zelas was not pleased with this, but let Fili and her siblings live. While Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde, who took more after their mother with black fur, lived at Wolf Pack Island with the other wolves, the runt of the litter was adopted by Xellos and named Fili Algar Metallium. Her middle name was composed of the forth letters of the names Zelas, Amelia, Zelgadis, Lina and Gourry, possibly because Xellos was Lina's useful and sometimes useless, item number four, though that was somewhat of an unconscious choice in his part.

With Xellos gone, Zelas led Lina into the elegant yet somewhat rustic looking throne room that was occasionally remodeled. Gold and fur seemed to be the theme at the moment. Zelas' golden throne had thick black fur draped over it with a few fur rugs scattered about in a seemingly random pattern that was both chaotic, yet strangely balanced. The walls were decorated in swirls of white, black and gray as if painted with distant galaxies, and the golden throne stood out, though it wasn't blindingly bright due to the contrast of the black fur details on it. Zelas took a seat on the throne as Lina stood before her.

The red haired sorceress chuckled, as if trying to force herself out of the numb state she was left in. Her eyes were still red and puffy, making it obvious she had been crying. The taste of her unpleasant feelings must be clear to Zelas. However, Lina Inverse had her pride and she wasn't about to be looked down on by a monster lord, or by anyone. "I see you've remodeled the place." Lina didn't visit Wolf Pack Island often, but she had been there before during a series of chaotic events that she didn't have the energy to think about at the time.

"Do you like it? I'm remodeling the sitting room that precedes my personal chambers too, but you had not seen that one before." Zelas spoke casually. "That's a pity because it was quite stunning if I do say so myself. But alas, the decorations are lost. Sweet little Val let the wolves into my chambers last time he was here for a visit and he got them so hyper and playful that they chewed up my precious dissected dragons. Of course, Val thought they were just statues, amusing little mischief maker that boy," she chuckled.

"Dissected dragons..." Lina couldn't help it but to wonder what Filia would say to the story of that event.

"I sent the torn up remains to Milgazia as a prank gift and he sent me a rather displeased sounding letter in return, but it was so proper and diplomatic that I couldn't take it seriously. I would laugh my head off the day someone made that oh so controlled and patient dragon blow his temper a la Lina," Zelas grinned.

Lina didn't like being used as a temperamental example, but in her current mood, she didn't really care. "What is it that you wanted to ask of me?" She decided to cut the small talk, speaking sharply.

"Not in a good mood, are you?" Zelas stated what had been obvious to her from the start. Seeing that Lina was refusing to humor her with a response to her comment, Beast Master continued. "For a reason that does not concern you, as it is an internal business of the monster race, I must gather chaotic energy from the beings of this world. I plan to gather it from Xellos and Filia; however, I need you to serve as the leader as they go on a journey. Concerning the specifics of the journey, I will entrust those choices to you as chaos seems to follow you wherever you go. There is another role you must perform too, Xellos and Filia will have their memories temporarily locked and it will be as if this was their first meeting."

"No!" Lina adamantly refused. "I'm not going to deal with that again! Xellos being extra annoying because, I didn't see it at the time but, it's his strange way to flirt. Filia getting angry at him and rampaging through towns, stomping around in dragon form. Not happening!"

"Withhold the tantrum, dear Lina, of course you will be a fine source of chaotic energy as well, so you must not feel left out." Zelas continued speaking calmly to the fuming sorceress before her. "I assure you, Filia will not be stumping around in dragon form, though Xellos might, if he is pushed to it."

That took Lina by surprise. "What?" Even if she tried not to look interested, the curiosity was written all over her face.

"It's only a temporary switch," Zelas grinned, amused by Lina's futile attempt to hide her curiosity. "I have heard Xellos spent a little time as a dragon before, but that was due to an accidental wish granted by the wandering spirit of a mermaid trapped in a magical pearl. He might be stuck that way for longer now, not that he would know and neither will she."

Lina pushed herself to think rationally and consider the very serious risks of Zelas' plans. "Xellos as a dragon is one thing, but Filia as a monster? I thought you wanted to torture the world, not destroy it! What if, due to her missing memories, she goes back to her old temper tantrums with a power like Xellos' at her disposal? I also really don't want to see her pre-reality check with monster views." Zelas only smiled and Lina realized something, "you anticipate all that, even look forward to it."

"Correct," Zelas' grin grew. "I will instruct Filia not to kill you or Xellos. That way Xellos will be free to throw a hissy fit if his dragon form, or Filia, gets to him, and you'll be able to better exercise your authority as the leader. How about it, Lina?"

Lina sighed; she knew she had no choice. It would be worse if Xellos and Filia were left in such a state unsupervised. Besides, she really needed the distraction and another chaotic adventure could be like therapy to her wounded heart. It was decided, "I'll do it..." and in true Lina fashion she added, "but it'll cost you."

Zelas laughed, she wouldn't expect anything different from Lina Inverse. "How about I take care of your travel expenses, including food. That way you can stuff your face in a vain attempt to heal your broken heart."

Lina frowned; Zelas just had to bring up her heartbreak. Well, it would only be worse for her wallet now. "No budget limits," the redhead demanded sternly.

"Feel free to eat the world, so long as you keep the journey and the chaos flowing," Zelas agreed. She materialized something out of thin air and handed the item to Lina.

The item was small, taking up only the space on her palm. It was a sort of royal crest similar to the one Amelia carried to represent Seyruun, except of course the symbol on it was quite different. There was the silhouette of a winged wolf... "You updated this too," Lina noted, having seen Xellos with the older version of the crest before. With that symbol of Zelas' bank account backing up her expenses, Lina intended to eat like a queen... or like a dozen queens.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at Wolf Pack Island, Lina had been sent off to prepare, having been teleported off the island by Fang. Xellos and Filia were both present in a specially designated chamber in the center of the underground palace. The chamber was very tall and elaborate, with marble pillars that reached up to the tall ceiling. The marble became glass mixed with marble pebbles that became less until even the glass ended. It gave the impression of pillars that reached for the infinity of space until they disintegrated into the endless Sea of Chaos. The ceiling was about a hundred feet above, painted black with large diamonds encrusted into it, powered with some minor light spells contained in the jewels, which made them shine like stars.

Yet the beauty of the chamber was not enough to calm Filia as she shifted, standing on the diamond encrusted marble floor. It looked as if stars had fallen in a sort of temple dedicated to chaos, yet the image was also peaceful, balanced, it was Filia's mind that was in a turmoil. She knew that she could entrust Val to Jillas, Gravos and Elena, she knew that he would be taken care of, but it wasn't leaving her child which worried her. She was more so worried about her own actions. What would she do as a monster? Would she have something terrible to regret when she changed back to normal and got her memories back? She glanced at Xellos who stood a few feed away next to her. He was calm, yet anticipating, curious.

Zelas began to chant and circles of light surrounded Xellos and Filia. She held up a necklace with a violet gem, a valuable amethyst and so much more. The jewel was the conductor to absorb the chaotic energy and the source of the temporary change was Beast Master's own power, thus she could undo it at will. Symbols appeared around the borders of the circles that glowed in every color humans had ever come up with a name for. The violet jewel became a multicolored light along with the circles and magic resonated through the chamber in sharp continuous waves.

Filia felt something take a hold of her, as if it was gripping her very soul and injecting power into her being. She looked at Xellos and bit back the need to cry out. It was somewhat painful, but not excruciatingly so, nonetheless she was frightened. Xellos on the other hand was calm despite the unpleasant look on his face that came from having his power drained to be temporarily lent to her. Filia closed her eyes and opposed no resistance as she knew it was fruitless. 

The magic continued to flow and the glow of many colors slowly settled into a dark purple. The amethyst's light faded until it looked like a normal, albeit exceptionally beautiful, jewel. Both Xellos and Filia were now unconscious on the floor of the chamber, his hair was a golden blond and hers was purple, though their eyes, Zelas mused, were probably their usual color for each of them. She looked over their sleeping forms and smiled with approval. "Celo," she summoned.

Celo entered the chamber at once. He was a monster human chimera, an actual combination rather than a pledged human. His long black hair was tied in a low ponytail. Purple eyes very similar to Xellos' examined the area attentively and sharp fangs could be seen when he smiled, giving him a somewhat vampire-like appearance, though he wasn't one. "Lord Beast Master..."

"Take her to Xellos' room and let her rest for a while," Zelas commanded.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," Celo picked up Filia's unconscious form. She reminded him of his late wife, Tiffany, who had been a golden dragon and Filia's childhood friend. Her sacrifice had been vital to winning the battle last year and averting the end of the world. He left with Filia and took her to Xellos' room as instructed.

Zelas picked up Xellos' unconscious form. He shifted slightly in her arms and there was a ripping noise which she realized was due to his tail making its first appearance so soon after the transformation to dragon. He would just have to deal with keeping it out or deal with having a hole in his pants every time it came out without permission. She assumed he would most likely opt for the former. Without further ado, she teleported away, taking the unconscious Xellos with her.

xoxox xox xoxox

Zelas reappeared at Dragon's Peak in the Kataart Mountains, specifically in front of Milgazia's house. "Delivery!" She called out in a cheerful mocking tone.

Milgazia opened the door and an unconscious dragon who very much resembled a blond Xellos was shoved into his arms. "What is the meaning of this?"

"How rude, aren't you going to invite me in and offer me a cup of tea?" Zelas feigned offense. "Even Filia had enough manners to do at least that."

Milgazia frowned, but knew when not to be stubborn. "Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?" He asked without any enthusiasm. 

"No thanks," cue the sarcasm, "darling," it sounded more like and insult than a term of endearment. "I'm in a hurry." Milgazia opened his mouth to speak again, but Zelas cut him off as she shoved past him into the house. "But if you insist I might just honor you with my presence." She made her way to the kitchen and started sorting through his cabinets as if they were her own.

Milgazia set the unconscious dragon, who looked like Xellos, down on the couch at the living room and quickly followed Zelas. "That unconscious dragon, who is he? Xellos per chance?"

Zelas paid Milgazia's disapproving look no mind as she examined a dark blue tea cup with golden details. She tossed the tea cup over her shoulder carelessly, though it was fortunately caught by Milgazia. "Xellos Ul Copt, as his temporary identity goes." She moved her attention away from the cabinets that were not hers to ravish and finally looked at Milgazia in the eyes. "Here's the story, Xellos Ul Copt was a dragon from the Flare Lord's clan whose clan was destroyed during the Darkstar incident. He later joined your clan and has been living here since. Unfortunately, he was injured in a battle against Beast Master's monsters and suffered a partial amnesia because of it. The general notions of the story are already in his head, all you need to do is enforce it."

Milgazia was taken by surprise and for an instant longer than he would have liked, it showed clearly on his face. "Why all this?" He had to ask.

"That is a secret..." Zelas shook her finger at him in a very Xellos-like expression. "You need not worry though," she added before he could protest. "Lina Inverse will be here to take Xellos off your hands very soon. Of course, I can still do this without you and if you don't cooperate I'll eat you."

Milgazia frowned, he didn't want to become dragon cuisine, but there was something else about the statement that caught his attention. "If my participation in this charade is not vital, or even truly necessary, then why bother threatening me?"

"Because it's amusing," Zelas stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, you're so terribly dull, I want to see you lose your cool one day, it would be entertaining, I imagine."

"Dull?" Well now, there was no need to throw around petty insults, was there? "The last time I tried to tell a joke in your presence, you slapped me as if I had terribly offended you," which left her burning red hand print on his face for quite a while. 

Zelas almost shuddered when she recalled his dull joke. It was so dull it hurt like a high level astral attack. It actually caused her pain, her, Beast Master Zelas Metallium. "We will not speak of that."

It made Milgazia wonder if his innocent joke was indeed somehow offensive to her. Wisely, he decided to drop the subject. He already knew what came next, so before she spoke he did, "now I'll refuse to cooperate and you'll threaten my clan to push me into it."

"Correct," Zelas nodded. "It's odd how the thought of being cooked and eaten doesn't concern you as much as the safety of others. You're a stupidly selfless creature, you know? Maybe that's why you're so dull, you have no personal desires."

What ever happened to being called pleasant Milgazia? "There is really no need to stand here insulting each other."

"I don't remember being insulted," Zelas pointed out. "You don't have the guts."

"I have no liking for unnecessary rudeness," Milgazia argued. After making a small pause he inquired. "Was there something more you wished to discuss?"

"No," Zelas confirmed, then she disappeared. That was it, she was gone. 

Milgazia heard a tired groan from the living room and left the kitchen, placing the tea cup he had caught on the counter as he exited. He noted with a touch of physically invisible but very much present annoyance that his unwanted guest, Xellos, was awake. He wanted to get rid of him before any further trouble arose, but he decided to investigate just what state of mind the monster turned dragon was in. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by an army of monsters," Xellos replied rubbing his head. He focused on the dragon who had spoken to him. Milgazia, his name came into his mind. "I'm at Dragon's Peak?" He asked a little unsure.

"Yes, there was a battle and you were injured, but you're okay now..." Milgazia played along. He didn't catch any hints of deception in Xellos' still purple eyes. Perhaps Zelas was telling the truth about his state of mind after all.

"I see..." Xellos closed his eyes and tried to organize his thoughts. He couldn't clearly remember anything at all and he attributed the partial amnesia to being dazed after the battle, which he couldn't remember either. He did have vague bits and pieces of memories of a false past, though it appeared more so as information in his head rather than images, because unknown to him, such images did not exist. 

To be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 010: Switch! Put Yourself In My Shoes

Xellos had just woken up at Milgazia's house as a dragon with partial amnesia and false information. He tried hard to remember. He was a dragon born in the fire clan, who joined the water clan after the fire clan's destruction during the Darkstar incident, which he very blurrily vaguely remembered. Yet his role and the roles of the others were different, with some elements being completely absent from this new version. He decided to leave things be, he knew the basics of life, who he was, Xellos Ul Copt, and where he was, Dragon's Peak at the Kataart Mountains. He knew that Milgazia was his current clan leader and he knew what he was supposed to do. No wait, he didn't know that. "Was I trying to accomplish anything?"

"There is something you need to do," Milgazia wondered if this would actually work to his favor. It puzzled him that Zelas would leave the opportunity open to him; she was more cunning than that. None the less, Milgazia would take this chance to get more information from Xellos, though he would take it with a grain of salt, so to speak. "A human sorceress called Lina Inverse will be here soon. You must accompany her in a journey and report on the actions of the monster race."

Xellos took in the information. He was being given a mission by his leader. That made sense, though there was also something off about it, this leader was different. Perhaps he was assigned missions by the Flare Lord's clan elder before and was still getting use to the elder that represented Aqua Lord Ragradia's clan. Xellos nodded as he stood up. "Understood, Lord Aqua Elder," that had a particular odd ring to it. Did he address someone so formally and respectfully before? Was it his previous clan elder? He shook his head, all of this, it didn't quite fit.

Milgazia saw a hint of doubt in Xellos' eyes, but it was heavily shrouded in real confusion. "Milgazia will do."

Xellos nodded and dismissed the thought of confusion, "right... Is that what I usually call you? My memories are very fuzzy right now."

"It must be because of the battle, I'm sure you'll recover with some rest," Milgazia played along. "Do you think you're well enough to go on this mission?"

Xellos nodded eagerly. He didn't want to sit around waiting for his head to clear. The thought of going out on a journey with a secret mission was much more appealing to him, and wasn't that Lina girl the human involved in the Darkstar incident? He wasn't clear on the happenings though he knew he was there. Perhaps a journey with her group, if they came along as well, would help him properly remember. "I'm alright, no big deal, I'm certain I can accomplish this mission just fine," he grinned his trademark grin.

"Very well," Milgazia agreed, "take a moment to rest for the time being, I'll go make some tea." Because really, Milgazia could use some tea right about now. 

The golden dragon elder headed to the kitchen, leaving Xellos to rest in the living room. One cup was already out; he opened the cabinet Zelas had been rummaging in to retrieve another cup and a blast of purple smoke suddenly exploded from inside it. Milgazia coughed repeatedly and tried to push the smoke out the window with a minor wind spell. After the smoke was gone, he moved his other hand away from his face, as it had instinctually gone to cover his mouth and nose, then notice the purple tint on his hand. This was not good. He washed his face, hoping that the purple would come off. Fortunately it seemed to be washing off, judging by all the purple water that sunk into the sinks' drain. Unfortunately, some purple still clung to the end of his long golden lined white sleeves and he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to wash it off.

Searching for a reflective surface, Milgazia exited the kitchen and headed for the decorative mirror on the wall on the living room. He noted that Xellos had since left his position on the couch and was entertaining himself by looking at the various portraits that hung on the walls. He seemed particularly curious about the picture of himself with a human female warrior that lived in an era that from a human's perspective could be called a long time ago, but not long enough to be ancient history.

Turning his attention back to the mirror, Milgazia realized that the purple dye was stuck to his hair in streaks of color. Great, now he'd have to bleach his hair. Zelas and all those linked to her were such trouble makers, except Filia who tried her best to set things right. Feeling the sensation of eyes on him, Milgazia turned his face to look at a curious Xellos, "that," Xellos pointed at his hair, "is kind of cool," he admitted.

"This," Milgazia frowned. "Is the result of a prank from a very annoying woman," or monster more accurately.

Xellos chuckled, "you should thank her then, she just did you a favor. Maybe she likes you," he teased jokingly.

Oh yes, Xellos was amnesiac alright, Milgazia concluded. 'You'd be quite angry at yourself if you knew the terrible thing you're suggesting,' he mused, because he knew that from Xellos' perspective, such an impossible possibility would be a terrible offense to Beast Master. "No, I'm sure that's not it, she's just an annoying trickster, that's all."

"You think she'd do that to my hair?" Xellos curiously inquired.

Milgazia could hardly believe this. "You really like this strange style?"

"It's cool," Xellos admitted and Milgazia couldn't even come up with a reply. "Speaking of hair," Xellos continued, glancing at the portrait of the human warrior and the younger Milgazia. "I feel like I've seen that hairstyle before."

The hair was long, going all the way to her waist. The bangs reached just below her nose and they were parted to the side over one eye. "Maybe," Milgazia voiced. He doubted that Xellos had actually met her, though it wasn't impossible. The hairstyle was very much like that of her descendant, Gourry Gabriev and that was most likely where Xellos had seen it. "A few people might have that style."

With Xellos entertained enough with his examination of the portraits, Milgazia returned to his previous task of making tea, this time much more cautious in his own kitchen. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at Wolf Pack Island, Filia slowly opened her eyes. Though she expected drowsiness upon waking up, she had none. Then she dismissed the thought as being nonsensical, monsters didn't get drowsy, then again, monsters didn't need sleep either. She sat up among purple sheets and cushions, wondering where she was. Information came to her from the far reaches of her mind and she knew, rather than remembered, that she was at Wolf Pack Island, in her room to be specific. Her memories were fuzzy and when she tried to recall everything was blurry. Reasoning that the best course of action was to report to her master immediately, Filia teleported away.

She reappeared in front of Zelas' throne room, as it would be rude, she reasoned, to teleport directly inside. Her blue eyes examined the door, before she stepped forward, long purple hair flowing behind her. "Lord Beast Master!" She called.

"Come in," Zelas' voice replied from inside. 

Filia phased through the door with no necessity to open it. She walked a few steps in front of Beast Master's throne and kneeled with her head slightly bowed, as if she were being knighted. "Pardon my intrusion, Lord Beast Master, but I must inquire of the latest happenings. Please excuse my incompetence, but my memories seem to be unclear."

"Do you know who you are?" Zelas asked curiously.

"I am Filia Metallium, the general priestess of Lord Beast Master Zelas Metallium," she replied with pride.

"Then you know what is most important for you to know," Zelas concluded. "As for your awakening, you were injured in a battle and have just recovered. That is all you need to know about that."

Filia's eyes widened, though she kept her head bowed. She was injured? Lord Beast Master's general priestess was injured?! How could she have been so careless? "My apologies, Lord Beast Master," she wanted to know more about the details of the battle, but dared not further question the monster lord she served, or at least thought she served. 

"I will give you a second chance." Already Zelas was amused, albeit she thought that the amusement might not last. Filia was dedicated and perhaps even highly effective, but she was too dedicated and lacked Xellos' free spirited, yet loyal nature, for now at least. This was the Filia that Xellos told her about from before she opened her eyes to the world, this was the sheltered Filia, except this time she thought she was a monster. How would she relearn life's lessons then? It might be interesting and most importantly, chaotic. Zelas removed the amethyst necklace she had been wearing and caused it to float towards Filia, it was a symbol of the temporary pledge. "Take this with you and should you need additional power, it shall provide it. It will also gather chaotic energy that I need to accumulate, so you must not waste its power."

Filia received the necklace and put it on. "Thank you, Lord Beast Master! I won't let you down!" There was that hint of optimistic innocence, she sounded like a child who had been given a fun new toy. "What shall my next mission be as I gather chaotic energy? Should I use a specific method?" She inquired eagerly.

"You will travel across the land accompanying a sorceress called Lina Inverse," Zelas commanded.

Lina Inverse, the name sounded familiar to Filia. Ah yes, the human involved in the Darkstar battle. "I understand, Lord Beast Master."

"There is another important detail, two details, I should say," Zelas elaborated with emphasis. "You must accept Lina's leadership in the journey. She has an exceptional ability to surround herself with chaos, so following her will be beneficial to your mission. The other detail is that there will be a golden dragon by the name of Xellos Ul Copt traveling with Lina. You must not kill him."

Forbidding her such an action puzzled Filia. Was she not the dragon slayer who eliminated so many dragons during the war of the Monster's Fall? Though it was knowledge rather than a memory and it felt very much as if it had not happened, Filia attributed it to her proper lack of conscience, she was a monster, she wasn't supposed to dwell on such insignificant details. All the more reason why Beast Master's warning puzzled her. Why would that Xellos dragon be any different from the others? She felt bad for daring to question the orders she was given, but Filia couldn't help herself as a curious "Lord Beast Master?" escaped her.

"Do not question me," Zelas spoke commandingly. "You will not murder the golden dragon called Xellos, that is an order."

Filia bowed her head in apology, "yes, Lord Beast Master."

"There is no more time to waste," Zelas ordered. "You must depart at once for Dragon's Peak at the Kataart Mountains. Lina Inverse will meet you at the home of the Aqua Lord's clan elder, Milgazia."

"Right away, Lord Beast Master, I won't let you down!" Filia assured and with those final words spoken, she teleported away.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at the Kataart Mountains, "we're here!" Fang happily announced, wagging his fox tail. He had just teleported Lina to Dragon's Peak near Milgazia's house where she was to meet her traveling companions.

"So it begins again..." Lina mused aloud. Except this time her adventure would be without Gourry. He had been traveling with her for so long; she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be without him. 'Don't think of Gourry,' she told herself firmly. 'Don't think of the past, think of the present and future.' With renewed determination, Lina was ready to face the chaos that was to come. Surely, once she was caught up in Xellos and Filia's antics it would keep her mind off Gourry... hopefully.

"See you later Lina!" Fang disappeared, leaving Lina to face the trials before her.

With a deep breath and a steady stride, the sorceress knocked on the dragon elder's door. Milgazia opened the door and invited her in with questions all over his face. Lina stepped inside and shrugged her shoulders, silently communicating that she wasn't fully informed either. The scene she found inside the house wasn't particularly chaotic just yet, possibly because Xellos and Filia were not yet in the same location. Lina had decided, after a moment of staring curiously, that she would not inquire about the violet tips she doubted Milgazia had willingly dyed into his hair. She wondered if Xellos was to blame, because he seemed entertained dying a purple line into his hair rather clumsily. 

Dye dripped into the tea cup that sat on the coffee table which also held the hair supplies, labeled as temporary, Lina observed from the bottle, though she wondered if Milgazia's dye was temporary too. Done with his attempt at making his hair more interesting, Xellos picked up his teacup and drank, immediately feeling an odd unpleasant taste and spitting it out. He stuck out his now purple tongue trying to look at it to examine the extent of the damage, which just gave him a cross-eyed expression. Observing the scene as Xellos ran off to wash, Lina shook her head and crossed her arms, "too harmless to b real," she mused aloud.

"Harmless, you say?" Milgazia pointed at the ceiling, "I can only hope it doesn't rain until I can get that fixed."

The ceiling was full of holes that looked like they had been made with laser breath. "What was that about?"

"He got the hiccups," Milgazia frowned. "I don't know just how many memories were locked away, but it's not just memories, it's life lessons too. He's like at the War of the Monster's Fall, curious, playful and lacking full control of his power. He's still cunning and tricky, but he might believe his loyalties lie with the dragons. Albeit it's only a matter of time before he finds that something is amiss. Memories can be locked away and feelings repressed, but instinct always resurfaces. After all, he still knows bits and pieces of the past, modified to fit a different identity." 

Lina groaned, at least she was already becoming engrossed in the chaos that would take her mind off heartbreak. "Which means that it's going to be as I feared, a pre-reality check Filia with a monster mindset."

Milgazia wasn't fully sure about what that meant, but it didn't sound good. Having cleaned out his tongue of the purple dye, Xellos returned to the living room and took note of the new arrival he was too busy to notice before. "Lina?" The name seemed to fit the face, though his memories were fuzzy.

"Hey," Lina greeted casually. "Are you ready to go on a new journey?"

"Of course I am," Xellos grinned.

"I take it Filia isn't here yet?" Lina inquired.

"I am here," Filia's voice replied from a few feet away. She had suddenly teleported into the house without warning, just on time to hear Lina's question. With a dignified stride, Filia approached the group and officially introduced herself, though she vaguely remembered that she already knew these people. "I am Filia Metallium, general priestess of Lord Beast Master." 

Milgazia was, Filia vaguely knew, the golden dragon elder who took on the leadership of the water clan after she had slain the previous elder during the War of the Monster's Fall. Lina inverse was the younger sister of the knight of Ceifeed, she was the human sorceress who was involved in the Darkstar battle, as well as several other noteworthy incidents. Xellos Ul Copt was the infuriating golden dragon who tagged along with Lina's group when they faced Darkstar and provided his energy for a fusion magic attack, not that she needed help from a dragon of all creatures anyway.

Lina saw that Xellos and Filia were sizing each other up and quickly intervened. She had a feeling that her job as referee would keep her very busy. "Good, we're all here, let's go!" 

Filia completely ignored Lina and instead extended her hand to touch Xellos' purple lock of hair with the tips of her fingers. "You made a clumsy job at this, dragon. There are splotches of purple all around the strand and it's not even in a straight line."

"At least I didn't spill the bottle on my head like you did," Xellos retorted.

"This is my natural hair!" Filia argued.

"You don't have any hair, or skin or anything, because you're a monster. You're not a real person, just a monster, only energy, I guess you can't help what you are," Xellos mocked with a clear hint of superiority.

Infuriated, Filia growled, "well I guess you can't help it but to be a piece of garbage, you filthy raw garbage dragon!"

Lina buried her face in her hands while Milgazia continued to observe the scene unfold. "I can see it now; it's Darkstar all over again, only worse." She very much doubted the lack of a reincarnated monster lord, a vengeful dragon-monster and an explosive obsessed fox would make the situation any easier to deal with.

Remembering what Filia's temper was like, Milgazia joined Lina in musing. "I believe there was a reason why those two were born in the races they were. Having one of them change, I fear may seriously upset the balance of the world, but with both... maybe..."

"They would reach a balance, which means just the right amount of chaos, except the novelty of it all, for them at least, will create more chaos," Lina continued. Once again, she tried to gather their attention. "Okay everyone, I'm ready to start the journey now!"

"And what is wrong with pink?" Filia continued arguing with Xellos, oblivious to Lina's pleas for attention.

"It doesn't match that necklace of yours, lavender would look better on you, as if to hide your hideous true self a little," Xellos replied with a very matter of fact tone of annoyance.

"Dragons have terrible taste!" Filia shouted.

"Monsters know nothing about taste!" Xellos retorted, his ever present golden scale covered dragon tail twitching.

"Enough!" Lina shouted over all the noise. "I would like to start this journey some time this century, if you don't mind!" She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. 

Xellos and Filia glared at each other and threw their heads back with undignified "hmp!" sounds. Finally, much to Milgazia's relief, they followed Lina out of his house and towards the mountain path that lead to the foot of the Kataart Mountains.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 011: Go! Don't Trip Over The Starting Line

As Lina, Xellos and Filia turned a corner behind a rock formation on their way down from Dragon's Peak, Lina didn't notice that there was someone following the group. Gourry peeked out from behind the rocks. So Lina was on a new mission, it seemed. Surely the journey would get dangerous and maybe she would find herself in need of a swordsman in battle, to watch her back while she chanted her spells. He was glad Fang secretly dropped him off at Dragon's Peak, though the monster fox was only following Zelas' orders to add Gourry to the group for the sake of causing additional chaos. Even if Xellos and Filia were planned to be the main sources, the more the better. Quietly and imperceptibly, Gourry followed them.

As Lina, Xellos and Filia went on their way; a little golden dragon boy curiously approached them. He looked at the purple haired lady who very much resembled Val's mother, save for the hair color. Unsure, he asked, "is Val here, Miss Filia?"

"Val?" Filia questioned with more curiosity than she, in retrospect, thought a monster was expected to have. The name sounded very familiar, Val... Val... Valgaav... Val... That Val? The dragon monster, the one who was reborn. "That is a question for Xellos," she tried not to show her curiosity. This was information that she should already know and it should not concern her anyway. She didn't want to hint at her missing memories; the general priestess of Beast Master shouldn't show any weakness. Yet she couldn't help it but to wonder what that dragon did with the egg when he took it to... Where had he taken it again? To his shop? What was it that he did? Did he make maces? No, that was her own hobby; she made weapons for fun like a monster should. What did he do then? Determined not to think of it more than it was needed, Filia decided to conclude somewhat logically, that Xellos must have handed the egg over to Milgazia or something. As for what he did with his time, she shouldn't care.

Xellos shrugged, his memories about Val were also fuzzy and he too was trying to remember what ever happened to him. He had not seen the egg while he was there and Milgazia had not brought up the subject. The egg should have hatched by now, but he didn't see a little ancient dragon running around either. Maybe the clan felt uneasy about it and Milgazia sent the hatchling elsewhere? "Milgazia sent him somewhere I guess..."

"Oh," the little dragon boy was disappointed that his playmate wasn't there. His parents always seemed worried when they played, but never had a word of complaint. Besides, Milgazia seemed to be fond of Val, so he had to be a good dragon, even if his father was a monster. Though the boy didn't understand the details, he assumed there was some kind of diplomatic truce going on with Beast Master and that, as a child, he had no reason to worry himself with trying to understand grownup business anyway. "Are you going to play with us, Xellos?" Milgazia looked angry last time Xellos was playing with Val's friends from Dragon's Peak, but he was fun and taught them tricks. Maybe the clan elder just felt left out because he was busy and didn't have time to play with them. "Filia, Lina, you two?"

Lina was about to reply, but her instinct told her to look in Filia's direction. Filia's face held a smile that was much too kind to fit the ferocious monster she was trying to be. She started to bend down to the boy's eye level, but as soon as she noticed what she was doing, she quickly straightened and forced her face to look serious. 'Sorry sweetie, but we're on a mission and must be on our way.' Filia was certainly glad that such preposterous words had not actually left her mouth. She was a monster, how could she be talking to a dragon child, let alone so sweetly? "Be gone little boy!" She exclaimed dramatically, with the flare of a theatre villain. "Be gone least you wish to forfeit your miserable existence!"

The little boy only looked confused, but Xellos couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Filia. There was just something about her that begged him to annoy her. "Ooh! The big bad monster is going to kill us, this is so scary!" Xellos mocked.

The boy only laughed. He didn't know why Filia dyed her hair purple. He didn't know why Xellos bleached his hair blond and had a dragon tail, the little boy had one too, but he was a dragon child so it wasn't odd for him. Yet now he realized that they must be playing some kind of game of pretend. "Oh no, who will save us?" The boy laughed in a futile attempt to act out the role of someone who was supposed to be frightened.

Filia fumed and seeing as her face became red in an involuntary reaction she couldn't help it but to express as she clenched her teeth, Lina let out a foreboding "oh, oh..."

"You dare to mock me, dragon child?" Filia shouted. "Do you not know who I am, you ignorant fool? I am the dragon slayer!" Purple lightning surrounded her and she was starting to look really scary.

"No... no... no..." Lina chanted under her breath. Dealing with a trickster monster was easier than dealing with a prideful monster that constantly obsessed about doing what was expected of her. Seeing that her race was capable of making mistakes made Filia awaken to reality before, but how could that be accomplished now? "Listen, Filia, I don't think you have to..." No one was listening to Lina, especially not Filia.

The little dragon boy had become so frightened by the dark energy and purple lightning that surrounded Filia, poisoning the atmosphere with negative emotions, that he hurried to hide behind Xellos. Filia was supposed to be the dragon and Xellos the monster, but Xellos didn't act that way, at least not on Dragon's Peak in the time of little that boy's lifetime. 

"Stand aside, Xellos!" Filia commanded with a murderous glare.

"You're really a big bully, aren't you?" Xellos' voice was joking and mocking, cheerful and sarcastic all at once. 

It could only infuriate Filia further, yet she remembered that Beast Master had forbidden her from killing Xellos. Did he know? No, he had always been this infuriating, she half knew and half recalled, so it wouldn't make much of a difference if he knew. "Stand aside I said!" Filia shouted louder, the dark energy around her increasing as she ignored Lina's attempts to calm her down.

"Wah!" The little dragon boy wailed. "Filia's scary! Wah! Filia's really scary! Wah! Waah!" his cries were terribly loud and annoying, they made the atmosphere stand still for a long moment.

Xellos wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but he thought the boy was a wimp. Lina hoped that the boy's fright was enough to convince Filia to let him go unharmed. As for Filia, something snapped in her and she was horrified. The boy's cries were bothering her and she held no joy or satisfaction in them. His fear empowered her, but she was displeased. "Stop it..." She spoke in a growl under her breath at first, then in a louder more commanding tone, "stop it, child!"

Scared beyond reason, the little boy ceased his cries and stared up at Filia with tearful eyes and a terrified expression. He was too afraid to speak any words beyond a soft shuttered "sorry."

Filia kneeled to the boy's eye level and patted his head gently. "Hush child, I will forgive your life." The boy nodded, but still looked scared. She pulled him into a hug before she had the chance to think. "Shh... I said I would let you go, so don't cry. Go now, little boy, return to your home."

When the boy parted from Filia, she was smiling at him and he smiled back, assuming that all the scary stuff was just an act. He had heard that it took real skill to play the villain in a dramatic performance, so Filia must be a very talented actress. He waved at the group and ran off towards the center of Dragon's Peak where the majority of the dragons were.

Lina let out a breath of relief, glad that the little unexpected interruption to the start of their journey had gone by without any major incidents or fatal casualties. However, her relief was very short lived, as Xellos had to go and open his big mouth to tease Filia. "That was kind of sweet of you, but monsters aren't supposed to be sweet. You make a pretty cheap monster I guess."

Lina slapped her forehead as she noticed Filia's glare. Then the redhead joined in the glaring, albeit for a slightly different yet related reason. "What about you?" Filia retorted angrily. "Shouldn't a noble dragon defend the young of his clan? Didn't Milgazia take you into his clan after yours was pathetically destroyed?"

"I see no reason to defend every little coward that crosses my path, child or not." Xellos crossed his arms and pouted stubbornly. "Besides, who says I have to be a certain way? I'll do whatever I want!"

"You're a failure as a dragon!" Filia argued.

"And you're a failure as a monster!" Xellos countered.

"Xellos..." Filia's voice was dangerously low and threatening. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and materialized her mace in her other hand with her monster energy.

Seeing that Filia was ready to pound Xellos into a bloody puddle, Lina was quick to interfere. "Wait! Don't forget what Beast Master said!" She desperately reminded. Bitterly, the redhead mused that the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was not alone; it was accompanied by deja vu. This situation reminded her of the time when Xellos was stuck as a human last year and she had to play bodyguard until he got used to fighting in such a state. 

Xellos was a fast learner and the best Dragon Slave caster Lina had ever seen, after herself of course, but he still needed some back up now and then, as any human would in his situation. He was a dragon now, but the imminent danger wielded his own true powers against him and that was a lot of power. Knowing Filia's temper, she could lose it and kill Xellos if Lina didn't keep an eye on things. This was different from last year's situation, the sorceress mused, so he probably wouldn't actually die, but she had a feeling that if Xellos was killed in dragon form someone would die, most likely Filia. 

Closing her eyes and counting to ten in her mind, Filia released Xellos and made her mace disappear into thin air, causing the energy that formed it to return to herself. "Fine," she relented at last, "let's go."

The exchange between Lina and Filia made Xellos very curious. Beast Master was Filia's boss, what did she say that would cause her to let him go? What was the monster race planning? It was his mission to report that to Milgazia and he would not fail that mission. Yet before he could uncover the monster's plot, he had something else to point out. "It's this way."

Filia glared, "no, it's this way!" She pointed in another direction.

"This is a shortcut!" Xellos insisted.

Lina groaned as her feeling of deja vu increased to unprecedented proportions. Already her mission was turning out to be a headache. She looked at the path suggested by Filia, full of jagged rocks on the way down, she was probably trying to be a monster by choosing the most sinister looking path. Xellos' suggestion was a very stiff mountain path, but it didn't look as bad. "Filia," Lina spoke with caution. "Since I'm only human," she attributed the suggestion to her own human necessity, making it clear that she wasn't simply choosing to agree with Xellos. "It would be hard for me to go down the mountain that way." 

"You must!" Filia insisted. "I must go with you, as Beast Master commanded, and I cannot go through the other path, so you must use this path!" She pointed at the jagged rocks and long fall below. "Surely you can get through it just fine with a levitation spell."

Lina sighed, convincing Filia was not easy back then and this past version of Filia turned monster was even harder to deal with. Yet she knew by the way she reacted to the boy that the nice Filia who was her dear friend was still in there, she just had to be gently coaxed to come out. "Why don't you just teleport us down?"

Filia thought about it, but disregarded the suggestion. Teleporting would be too easy and this was supposed to be a chaotic journey. "No, that's too simple. We're not only trying to make our way out of the Kataart Mountains here; we must go on a note worthy journey."

Lina looked at the path Xellos had suggested, "and that steep path over there isn't note worthy enough because?"

"The path isn't even the real issue." Filia pouted as she glared at Xellos, then she started speaking in a very proud and self righteous tone. "I am Lord Beast Master's general priestess; I cannot lower myself to agree with this..." She tried to find the right word to describe Xellos, pointing at him with disgust. "This... this piece of raw garbage!"

"Raw..." Xellos twitched, "garbage?"

'Not this again!' Lina had enough; she had to put a stop to this. "That's it! I'm taking control of this operation. I'm the leader, so you two will answer to me!"

It was true that Beast Master had appointed Lina Inverse as the leader of their group, but how could she be so disrespectful? Filia couldn't tolerate it, "wait just a minute..." She threatened.

"No I won't!" Pissed off and with a pounding headache, Lina tried to resolve the argument in the most effective way she knew how. "Darkness beyond twilight..."

Filia blinked, "she blew her temper..." She should have seen this coming given Lina's volatile emotions.

"Crimson beyond blood that flows," Lina continued her signature spell's chant.

"No kidding, captain obvious..." Xellos sarcastically replied.

"Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows..."

"Aren't you worried about the safety of your clan? This spell is called the Dragon Slave for a reason, you know," Filia pointed out. Her fierce anger was strangely replaced by curiosity towards that oddball of a golden dragon Xellos.

"I pledge myself to conquer, all the foes who stand..." 

"I suppose I could go tell them to clear the area," Xellos considered. 

"Before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hands..." 

"You're not even scared," Filia noted with disappointment.

"I still have time to fly away," Xellos reasoned. "Besides, panicking never helped anyone anyway. If anything it might make Lina angrier."

"Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed..."

The sorceress was almost done with her spell and Xellos could feel the rush of power gathered in her hands. "Now Lina, I think that's quite enough," he tried to calm her down, but she wasn't listening. Maybe he shouldn't have waited that long before trying to talk her out of this. There was only one thing to do now; he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Lina's face turned scarlet and her focus was completely lost. The power she had gathered from Shabranigdu dissipated into nothingness as the spell's effect disintegrated before it could be used to do any real damage. "You! You!" Lina pointed at Xellos accusingly, "you cheat!"

Xellos gave her a smug look of victory. He took her accusation of being a cheat with a different meaning than how Lina spoke it and didn't further inquire about it. Filia seemed particularly angry, though Xellos assumed she was simply disgusted by the kiss, innocent as it was, because monsters were supposed to hate stuff like that. He did not expect her to stomp on his tail. The painful yelp came out along with a beam of laser that pierced a rock formation near by. 

Xellos picked up his sore tail while Filia continued to glare at him. She didn't know why she was so annoyed seeing Xellos kiss Lina, but felt strangely relieved that she was. The feeling was certainly unpleasant, but at lease she was acting like a proper monster should. There were so many improper monsters these days, it was quite unfortunate.

Brushing pebbles and dust out of his hair and clothing, a blond human swordsman crawled out from under the stones that fell on him when Xellos' laser breath destroyed the rock formation. His hair, Xellos noted through the dull ache on his tail, was similar to the hair of that female warrior in the portrait at Milgazia's house and the reason why she looked familiar became clearer. How could he have half forgotten Gourry?

Seeing her ex fiance again all of a sudden was not something Lina took very well, especially in her current both temperamental and embarrassed state. She didn't want to see him now, she couldn't see him now. She couldn't let him follow her and protect her without loving her; it was too painful to be around him like that. She had to get away. With such thoughts running through her head, Lina ran away as fast as she could in the opposite direction, deeper into the Kataart Mountains. 

"Wait, Lina!" Gourry called after her and started running too.

"He's remarkably good at hiding his presence," Filia mused aloud before she could stop herself. Xellos looked at her with a slightly mocking expression, which made her quickly add, "of course, I knew he was there all along."

"Sure you did," Xellos replied with sarcasm.

Filia glared, wishing strongly that she could destroy the annoyance named Xellos and get it over with, but she couldn't go against Lord Beast Master's orders. Instead she looked in the direction Lina had gone in and realized she was already out of sight. She was supposed to be the leader of the journey, so Filia couldn't lose her. The redhead had not gone in the direction previously suggested by Xellos, so she wouldn't be agreeing with him if she followed her through a different route. Without another word, Filia hurried to chase after Lina. Xellos wasn't just going to stand around, so he went off to find Lina too.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 012: Chase! Still Not Getting Anywhere

A young golden dragon by the name of Phythan sat on the ground at the Kataart Mountains, specifically in the outskirts of Dragon's Peak. His tail was out and he was sticking out his tongue on the side of his mouth in concentration as he drew on a sketchpad. Two elf females called Memphis and Onyx were sitting near by, swapping notes and quietly discussing the plot of a story, while their artist friend tried to translate their earlier character descriptions into images.

Lina rushed by and stepped on Phythan's tail, causing him to yell in pain. Gourry quickly followed the distressed Lina and accidentally stepped on Phythan's tail again. Whining pathetically, Phythan hugged his pained tail as he lay on his side on the ground. 

Filia saw Lina and dashed after her. Seeing the obstacle in her path at the last minute, Filia jumped over Phythan then stumbled a few feet away from him, tugging on her skirt self consciously. "I hate dragons!" Reasoning that she didn't have time to waste killing that, according to her, perverted dragon, Filia continued chasing Lina.

"Ha!" Xellos mocked smugly, "I feel sorry for the poor guy, he'll have nightmares!" However, Xellos was actually observant enough to notice that Phythan's eyes had been shut tight in pain and he didn't even notice that someone had jumped over him.

As Filia and Xellos disappeared from sight, just as Lina and Gourry had seconds ago, Onyx picked up a blank sheet of paper and began to quickly scribble somewhat messily. "Their random antics always give you plot bunny attacks," Memphis observed, looking at the notes over the other elf girl's shoulder.

xoxox xox xoxox

Lina Inverse, the sorceress extraordinaire and recently heartbroken maiden came to a sudden stop at the edge of a cliff at the Kataart Mountains. She considered casting Ray Wing, though she was in such a state of upset that the possibility flew by in the back of her mind and disappeared before she could even grasp it.

"Lina," Gourry, stopped a few feet away from Lina. He wanted to talk to her, to try to fix things, but she didn't look like she wanted to talk to him. He didn't understand, she had left him, or so he thought, but did she really have to cut him out of her life completely? 

Filia and Xellos caught up to the pair and watched with curiosity. Lina's face could only be compared to the expression of a trapped mouse cornered by a hungry cat. The redhead tried to device an escape, she was so out of focus she doubted she could Ray Wing her way out of this and Filia refused to teleport her away. The only option left was Xellos. "As the leader of the group I order you to change into a dragon and fly me out of here!" She called out to him.

"But that's-" Filia began to protest.

"Do it!" Lina interrupted.

"Alright, alright," Xellos agreed.

Lina looked away, but Filia continued to complain, she didn't want her assigned leader to rely on a dragon for anything. "Wait, you shouldn't-" There was a flash of golden light as Xellos changed into his dragon form and Filia gasped when she realized that he didn't take cover before the transformation and she had been glaring at him at the time. "You piece of raw garbage!" She blushed involuntarily, mentally scolding herself for it, because a monster should have more control over her physical form. "Nobody wants to see that!"

"Then you should have had the decency to look away like Lina," Xellos retorted. "Although, judging by the blush on your face, I'd say you enjoyed it, you're such an improper monster!"

"Monsters are supposed to be improper!" Filia blurted out the first counterargument that came into her mind, which was not really a very good one. She tried to amend it. "Not that I would ever be attracted to a golden dragon no matter how improper it may be!"

"Hurry up or you'll be left behind!" Lina called out, she was already climbing on Xellos' back.

"Wait, don't leave me behind, I want to go too!" Gourry insisted. 

The blond swordsman tried to climb on the golden dragon's back, but Xellos picked him up off himself and placed him on the ground. "I don't mind if you come along, but if Lina blows her temper again, I really don't want her to cast a Dragon Slave while riding on me. Take off!" Xellos flapped his wings, creating a great wind and flew away from the Kataart Mountains. 

"Don't leave without me!" Filia disappeared into the astral side and reappeared floating next to Lina as she rode on Xellos. There was no way she was going to lower herself to riding on a golden dragon.

Left behind at the edge of the cliff, Gourry watched as the golden dragon and the purple haired girl disappeared along with Lina. "I wonder who Lina's new friends are." Gourry, being Gourry, didn't recognized Xellos and Filia, though he did think Lina's new friends reminded him of them. Even so, Xellos wasn't a dragon and Filia didn't have purple hair, so he assumed they were different people. He frowned, was there something going on between the golden dragon and Lina?

xoxox xox xoxox

Feeling the wind on her face in blissful silence for a while was just what Lina needed to recover her senses. She let out a breath and lay down on Xellos' back as he continued to fly. "Where are we heading to?" Filia's voice woke her.

"No where really, I'm just flying," Xellos replied.

Filia pouted and glared, "I was not talking to you, raw garbage. Where are we heading to, Lina?"

Lina thought about it for a moment and came to a decision. Perhaps this journey would be a little easier to overtake with Amelia and Zelgadis in the group. "Seyruun," she replied. "We're going to Seyruun."

"Roger that," Xellos altered his flight course to head in the direction of Seyruun.

Filia was not pleased. It was not the destination that bothered her, but the method of transportation. "I do hope you're not planning to fly on this filthy thing all the way. If that is your intention, I must object!"

"It's the easiest way," Lina grumbled. "We'll start walking again after we leave Seyruun," and by then she would have someone to back her up in keeping those two in check.

"Absolutely not, we must take this journey properly starting right now!" Filia insisted, a sadistic look flashed in her eyes as her mace materialized in her hands. Lina had a very bad feeling about this. Xellos twisted his long dragon neck back to look at them and saw the mace; he had a very bad feeling about it too, but showed no outer signs of it. "Land right now dragon, or I'll force you to land by breaking your wings!" Beast Master had ordered Filia not to kill Xellos, but she didn't say anything about hurting him.

Xellos' amethyst eyes glared with a challenge, "don't fall off, Lina." 

The redhead didn't have to be warned twice. "Wait! What are you going to do?" Lina knew that the ride was about to get wild, she climbed on to Xellos' head, wrapping one arm around one of his dragon horns and grasping the hair of his yellow main with her other hand.

Xellos didn't reply with words, but with actions. He shot a laser breath at Filia. She disappeared out of the way and reappeared again, raging mad. "You dare to so openly challenge me?!" Then she noticed that Xellos was flying away full speed. 'The nerve of him, picking a fight then flying off!' "Come back here!" Filia teleported in front of Xellos, causing him to make a sudden turn to dodge the monster in front of him. "I'll get you for this!"

"Don't forget what Beast Master said!" Lina called out, still holding on to Xellos and pulling his hair a lot in the process. 

"Don't pull my hair so much!" Xellos complained as he dodged Filia's attacks of dark energy and purple lightning. 

"You'd be surprised at what a dragon can live through!" Filia called out in reply to Lina as she gathered more dark energy around her mace. The mace grew to gigantic proportions, glowing with dark light and sizzling with purple lightning.

Lina gasped, this was serious. "But I'm human!" She reminded, yet it didn't look like Filia was going to listen to reason. The monster swung the giant mace of dark energy at Xellos and by consequence at Lina, who was on his head. "Elmekia Lance! Elmekia Lance! Elmekia Lance!" Lina aimed the consecutive attacks at the giant mace, trying to dissipate the monster energy that it was made of. At the same time Xellos shot lasers at it for the same purpose. 

The mace was weakened, but Filia fed it more energy so it didn't disappear. "Windy Shield!" Xellos and Lina called out at the same time, shielding themselves from the attack that was too large and fast to dodge. The mace of energy collided with them, but rather than a blunt hit, the giant mace had been weakened enough to feel more like a shock of negative electrical currents.

"This has to stop!" Lina yelled with great alarm.

"Miss Lina, please dismount off that horrid thing," Filia scolded. "I assure you I have not forgotten Lord Beast Master's orders and I have no intentions of defying her, but there are certain liberties that it is possible to take without breaking her commands!"

This wasn't good, Filia was too stubborn and she was too much into a stereotypical monster mind frame. Yet within the situation, Lina also felt sorry for her, Filia would feel terrible about all this when she recovered herself. "Alright, I give up. Xellos, land."

"No way," Xellos stubbornly declared. "I shouldn't have to listen to some monster brat!"

"Then listen to me before I Dragon Slave you!" Lina stomped her feet on Xellos' head. "Land this instant!" to make sure she was taken seriously, she began the familiar chant. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."

"Fine!" Xellos growled and began to lower his altitude straight down, hovering near a mountain path. Lina jumped off and stood on the narrow ledge that was just barely big enough for a human and certainly not spacious enough for a dragon. "I'm changing back now." Lina nodded and looked away. With another flash of golden light, Xellos changed back to his human form. Filia floated near by, her arms crossed and her face scrunched up in angry indignation. She pretended to look away while keeping one eye open behind her long purple bangs.

After the transformation was done, Filia landed near the others. Lina didn't even bother looking back at them. Instead she started down the path grumbling enraged incoherencies. As Xellos tried to dodge Filia's attacks, the chase had led them back to the Kataart Mountains, making them lose what little progress they had made on their way to Seyruun. Now they would have to finish making their way down from the mountains on foot.

"You!" Filia gasped all of a sudden, pointing her right index finger at Xellos, or more specifically at his behind.

"Oops..." When he changed back into his human form, Xellos had done so completely. He had forgotten that his pants had already been ruined with a tail hole before. He allowed his tail to grow out again, figuring it was the best solution to the problem at the time.

Filia knew that Xellos was about to say something teasing. How dare he tease her! She didn't want to hear it, so she threw her head back with an angry "hmp!" and hurried to walk past him to catch up with Lina. That dragon was so infuriating, if only Beast Master had not forbidden her from killing him. If only he would just go away, if only he would be involved in an unfortunate accident. 'That's it!' Filia thought triumphantly. If Xellos died in an accident or was killed by someone else, then it wouldn't be her fault. Beast Master told her not to kill him; she didn't say she had to protect him. Yet waiting for an accident to happen might take too long, so maybe she should give him a little push, literally.

Xellos didn't like the victorious look that Filia had on her face. She must be plotting something, so he should be on his guard. Filia was slowing her pace to allow him to catch up to her and make it look like it happened naturally. They were walking next to each other now with Xellos on the side of the mountain path cliff's ledge. Suddenly, she shoved him pretending it was an accident. He feigned distress as he fell and caught a glimpse of Filia's smug look.

Lina heard something suspicious, like someone yelping as they fell off a cliff. She looked back at where Xellos and Filia were supposed to be following her, but only saw Filia looking smug. Then Xellos reappeared in a half transformed state. At some point he found the time to remove his cloak and shirt to allow his golden scaled wings to grow on his back. Lina shrugged and kept going.

Filia glared as Xellos landed next to her. She glared for what she dimmed was a moment longer than she should then looked away in indignation. How dare he survive? "You look like a gargoyle," she growled.

"You look like a gorgon," Xellos retorted.

"You're a disgusting reptile!" Filia shouted.

"You're a hideous gathering of electro-magnetic energy!" Xellos yelled back mockingly.

"You're a disgrace to the dragon race!" Filia screamed louder.

"You're a bigger disgrace to the monster race!" Xellos countered stubbornly.

Several steps ahead of them, Lina quickened her pace. She had a headache and she didn't care if those two killed each other. She just wanted some peace and quiet.

"Me? A disgrace to my race?" Filia looked very offended. "How dare you even suggest such a thing? I am a perfect example of what a monster should be!"

"Oh really?" Xellos continued to rile her up. She was an infuriating creature, but annoying her was very amusing. "And how is a proper monster defined?"

"Cruel and sinister," Filia proudly answered.

"Since when does a cruel and sinister monster run around being all cute in a pink dress?" Xellos teased.

Filia pouted, "there's nothing wrong with my dress. Pink can be a very sinister color, I'll have you know." She was too busy being angry to realize he had basically complimented her. "Pink is like light red," she tried to reason. "Blood is crimson, red, so pink is like a lighter version of Lord Ruby Eyes' color. Pink is like blood that has faded after being spilled in a massacre of a battle field!" It was morbid and unpleasant, but monsters were supposed to be that way, right?

"I can't think of blood when I see pink," Xellos disagreed. "It reminds me more so of sweet cotton candy."

Filia frowned, why couldn't that stubborn golden dragon just follow her logic? "I'm not sweet, I'm sinister!" 

"Hardly," Xellos grinned. "You're a sweet monster, what a disgrace!" He teased. "Not that an obviously sinister monster is very effective anyway," he admitted.

"I'm not sweet and what's that supposed to mean?" Filia argued angrily. "What do you know about effective monsters anyway? You're a golden dragon!"

Xellos shrugged, "I just know," he honestly couldn't explain, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he couldn't remember how to explain it, he simply knew. "A tricky monster is best. The kind of monster who makes people lower their guard and forget they're with a monster."

"Such a roundabout approach," Filia huffed. "You know nothing. You don't even know anything about being a proper dragon, let along a proper monster."

"I suppose you know all about how to be a proper dragon, don't you?" Xellos challenged.

"Of course I do," Filia replied with pride. "I am Beast Master's general priestess and the dragon slayer from the War of the Monster's Fall. I should have this information. Dragons are supposed to be kind and polite. They are not to associate with monsters under any circumstances. If you were a proper dragon you would be doing anything within your puny power to get away from me."

"I'm not a coward," Xellos pointed out.

"You also have no shame, transforming like that in front of Lina!" Filia scolded.

"She wasn't looking, I gave a fair warning and she looked away like a lady," Xellos countered with a mischievous look in his now open eyes. "You didn't," he reminded.

Filia felt her face go red without her permission. How did he notice she was watching? He was more observant and perceptive than she had given him credit for. What ever happened to the perfect control that a monster was supposed to have? Maybe she had been taking a human form for too long. "I only looked on accident! It shouldn't matter anyway, I'm a monster, I don't care about such stupid matters."

"But you're such a sweet monster it almost looks like you have a crush on me," Xellos teased. Infuriating this monster was too much fun to resist; she was so volatile it amused him to no end. He didn't think a dragon should be amused by such things, but he didn't care. He wasn't one to stick too closely to the rules anyway, though he did have an intense loyalty for his leader... his leader... His past clan elder? His new clan elder, Milgazia? Who inspired that sense of loyalty? There was a blurry image in the back of his mind of someone who was not a dragon elder, who could it be?

"Are you even listening to me?" Filia's yelling in his ear woke Xellos from his thoughts. "I said that monsters don't feel affection, they don't love."

"Oh right, I forgot," there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I guess you're not a rebellious monster, are you? Nor are you a special one, just a bit odd."

"I'm not odd, you are!" Filia accused. "Just what is it that makes you the way you are? Why are you so different from other golden dragons? Why are you so carefree, so annoying, so infuriating?" 'So fascinating?' she mentally added, albeit she quickly banished the thought. 

"I wonder if you could answer that question if asked about yourself," Xellos mused aloud. "As for me..." He winked and shook his finger and his tail at her. "That is a secret."

He was mocking her, Filia's face turned redder in anger. How dare he mock her so directly and constantly? She reacted somehow savagely and bit his tail. She was the daughter of Zelas, the greatest dragon cuisine chef in the world and she felt like ripping Xellos' tail off and eating it. He could live without it after all.

To be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 013: War! Tails (And Tales) Of Enemies

Xellos yelled in pain as his tail was suddenly assaulted without a warning. He had to be more careful, Filia was more violent than his fuzzy scattered memories revealed. Wasn't he supposed to be the violent one, throwing temper tantrums in dragon form and leaving random towns in ruins? There was no time to try to sort through his blurry shifting memories now, as the only thing that occupied his mind was pain. A barrage of lasers was released from his mouth point blank at Filia. Acting on instinct, she teleported away and some of the lasers caught Xellos' own tail.

Filia looked smug, noticing that Xellos' tail was still bleeding and his expression was very pained. Maybe she wouldn't have to pull his tail off after all. Yet when she looked at him for a second longer, a painful rush of guilt overtook her. This made no sense, he was a dragon and she was a monster, she was supposed to be enjoying this, but she suddenly felt awful. She told herself that she was simply disgusted by how pathetic the dragon was and unable to look at him any longer, she hurried to find Lina.

"You'll pay for this, monster." Xellos' purple eyes glared intensely at Filia's back as she hurried away to catch up to Lina. If she thought that dragons were weak, she would have to learn the hard way how lethal they could be.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, far from the Kataart Mountains, Milgazia had just arrived at Wolf Pack Island, having been teleported by Fang, who was only too amused to run around, or rather teleport around, playing messenger boy for Beast Master. It was like playing fetch, a game that he adored, except instead of fetching a stick or ball, he had to fetch a dragon, not in his mouth fortunately for Milgazia. The dragon elder, who was already wearing his brass rackets uniform, busied himself with setting things up for a game, one on one, at Zelas' court while the monster lord appeared to be talking to herself.

Zelas had her alternate sporty look with shorter hair orange in color in a wing shaped hairstyle. She wore a brass rackets uniform as she converse with her little messenger monster bird, Jarde. The cute but tricky tiny creature gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'a little bird told me...' "She did that, really?"

Jarde chirped softly into Zelas' ear sitting on her shoulder. Although, even if Milgazia heard the monster bird, he wouldn't be able to understand him anyway. He was telling Zelas about when Filia bit Xellos' tail, wondering if a tail injury was particularly serious for a dragon, as there had been a lot of blood before Xellos managed to patch up the wound with healing magic.

"I don't think it's fatal," Zelas replied, noting that Milgazia was giving her an odd look.

"What is?" He wasn't particularly fond of these meetings, but the odd occasional games of brass rackets, though they had no official partnership anymore, served as a way for them to spy on each other. In a way it was mutually beneficial and there were certain details that Milgazia wanted to discuss that he wouldn't otherwise get the chance to inquire about. That didn't mean he actually expected a straight answer from Zelas, because he didn't, but an expression, a reaction, a hint, something, anything, was better than nothing.

Jarde chirped again with the suggestion to test the theory and Milgazia took note of the bird, concluding that Zelas must have been talking to her tiny minion the whole time. She gave him a hungry look that reminded him of when she threatened to turn him into dragon cuisine and replied. "If I try to test the theory I won't be able to stop. He would die, but not due to the injury, but rather, because he would be completely consumed."

Milgazia looked displeased as Zelas went back to talking to the bird and ignored his indignation. "Go now Jarde, keep me informed and don't worry so much about a minor scratch. A sadistic monster is a terribly dangerous thing; I expected this much at least. I'll have to make Xellos a dragon cuisine banquet when he comes back to make up for all the terrible peril I'm putting him through for the sake of chaos." Jarde chirped cutely despite being a monster and flew away, fading to the astral side soon after.

After Jarde was gone, Milgazia address Zelas. "You've told me so much already, so you might as well tell me the reason why."

Zelas feigned ignorance, "what ever do you mean?"

Milgazia was not in the mood to go around in circles, so he was direct. He began with a review, "in the past year you would call me to play brass rackets when there were important meeting concerning the dragon race as a whole. You used threatening my clan to presume to go, thus forcing me to send a representative to the meeting rather than going myself. Following such occasions you arranged it for my usual representatives to be busied elsewhere on the next meeting, making me send someone else."

"No matter how much they pay attention and take notes, the information will still be out of context after the previous meetings have been summarized and retold." Milgazia continued. "Plus my representatives wouldn't be able to vote on certain aspects unless they have my signature, which I wouldn't be there to give in the name of the clan. Even if I try to catch up later I'll get behind in important political matters, look irresponsible and overall be judged for putting my clan's safety above formal procedures."

"Of course everyone knows you put your clan first, just like in the past." Zelas smiled as if the tragedy of the past was unrelated to her, but it was very closely related to her and to Xellos.

After the previous water clan leader was killed early during the War of the Monster's Fall, the clan was left in disarray. Official decrees were terribly slowed because of the war and because they were cut off from the other temples, thus the inhabitants of the Kataart Mountains had to fend for themselves and decide for themselves. Without any official confirmations, the dragons that had lost their leader turned to a young golden dragon with wisdom beyond his years and a courageous determination. Many would later ascertain that despite the results of the massacre, there wouldn't be a single dragon left in the Kataart Mountains if not for Milgazia's leadership. He was known as pleasant Milgazia, always smart, always a perfect gentleman, always good company, friendly and loyal, he even became close to the elves and formed a closer alliance to them than any other dragon leader previously had. 

Even after the war when things needed to be made official and procedures properly carried out, no one questioned that Milgazia should remain as the leader of the water clan. His views were more open-minded than other dragons and he even spent some time traveling with a human female warrior. Rumors flew for a time that he had been in love with her, but the woman eventually married a human and those who spoke of such things were looked down upon for daring to think that pleasant Milgazia was anything less than what a proper dragon should be, even if he was far less strict than other leaders when it came to tradition.

Milgazia's clan was always exceptional. They were not extinguished when the odds were against them and guarded the knowledge of the Aqualord through the passing of time. They were also recalled as being one of the clans that did not participate in fighting the Ancient Dragons despite being under the leadership of a golden dragon. Some elders, who had been a part of the battle back then, thought that Milgazia had no choice but to hold back his forces to ensure his home's survival after being targeted by Xellos. Others ascertained that he knew the golden dragons were making a mistake and did not want to be a part of it. Both were right, Milgazia didn't want to participate in an unfair battle, but he was also thinking of his clan's safety, putting them first, as they were in his immediate care.

Returning to the present, Milgazia continued his review of the most prominent details of his intrigue. "The barrier is gone, but it's like you want to separate my clan from the others, or at least, that's the way it was."

Zelas nodded, with no intentions of denying it. "To put it simply, I didn't want them to have you as an asset. The other dragons are stricter with how they move, predictable. They are not as adaptable as your clan has grown to be."

It was the classic strategy of 'divide and conquer' and Milgazia had already figured as much. Yet things had changed recently and that was the part that confused him. "There is no meeting now and yet here I am being summoned to play brass rackets, you must have a purpose for calling me here. Also, there have been some events in the dragon race recently that I have found out about by unexpected means. I've received anonymous invitations, which seem very suspicious, but every time they turned out to be true. My presence at the events was informative, beneficial. Coincidentally, Filia had planned to take Val and Palou to Dragon's Peak recently, but it had to be cancelled due to Xellos insisting on taking her and the children elsewhere. Ironically, there was another event that I had not heard about until the anonymous letter came on that very day. Naturally, I wouldn't leave Dragon's Peak with Xellos around, even if Filia is keeping an eye on him."

"How convenient that your schedule was cleared up." Zelas took her position on the brass rackets court, eager to start the game, though she made no attempt to end the conversation.

Milgazia took his stance on the opposite side of the court. "How convenient that you cleared it for me. This makes no sense. Why did you push me away from the other dragons, only to push me back towards them? Why did you bring Xellos to me? Why did you give me the opportunity to have him send me reports? Even if he bends the truth, any information is a clue. I would at least know what you want me to think. Besides, he seemed genuinely confused, I'm not so easily tricked, but he might just actually send me the reports I asked for truthfully."

"He would tell the truth." Zelas served, officially starting their brass rackets combat. "I'm giving you information on a silver platter and supporting your attempts to get closer to the other dragon race leaders."

"Why?" Milgazia returned the ball.

"That," Zelas hit the ball back, "is..."

"Don't say secret!" Milgazia countered, sending the ball back to Zelas' side of the court.

"Actually," she returned the ball. "I was going to say it's because you're delicious."

"Be serious!" Milgazia scolded, he had come to hate Zelas' dragon cuisine jokes. "If you're expecting to get any information I might learn think again."

"I'm not so naive," Zelas hit the ball more harshly, sending it back at Milgazia with a great force. "I don't expect you to tell me anything, but I'll tell you this, even though I suspect Dolphin is plotting, I don't think she's the only one. There might be something going on with the dragon race that you would disagree with."

Milgazia focused his energy on his brass racket as he returned the ball. "You mean something that we may both disagree with?" The thought of such a possibility worried Milgazia. If Dolphin went against Zelas and the dragon race decided to take the opportunity to attack, a war would follow just when things were finally calming down. The casualties would be high. "I see..." He would have to look further into that, but it wouldn't be so easy with how the other elders had taken to excluding him. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Lina had managed to make her way down from the Kataart Mountains and was once again on the road to Seyruun. She wasn't even sure if Amelia and Zelgadis were actually there, as they had been traveling around a lot and had no set schedule to drop by Seyruun. It would be easier to summon a courier monster bird with a spell to instantly deliver a letter to them and learn of their location, but Lina would not do that. She purposely took the longer approach, intending to stop and rest at Seyruun until Amelia and Zelgadis showed up, so that they could then continue their journey. Val and Palou's pranks during their martial arts lessons with Phil should be enough to satisfy Filia's need to go on an interesting and chaotic journey, so hopefully Lina could hang around the kingdom of white magic for a while.

The sorceress looked at Filia, who was quietly walking next to her with a kicked puppy expression upon her face that reminded her of Gourry and Lina did not want to be reminded of Gourry. "Cheer up Filia!" She didn't know what afflicted the dragon turned monster and she wasn't in the mood to listen to another's troubles when she had her own. None the less, if Lina didn't cheer her up, she would end up depressed too.

"Cheer up?" Filia gave Lina an incredulous look, then took a surreptitious glance over her shoulder at Xellos, who was walking a few feet away from them at a slower pace. It was clear he didn't want to be near Filia and for that she should be glad, but she wasn't. She had injured him and though crushing his skull with her mace seemed ever so appealing before, now the image of his injured tail seemed terribly cruel. She couldn't think of the blood and pain without her stomach turning upside down, metaphorically speaking of course. "I am happy when the world is miserable, I'm a monster!"

Lina frowned, "I guess you must be really happy then, but you sure do have a weird way of showing it!" She was miserable and, though Lina had mostly been ignoring Xellos, she was vaguely aware of him quietly following them. He wasn't being talkative, obnoxious, or overloaded with cheer, so he must be pretty miserable too. 

"Oh... right... hee hee..." Filia forced herself to laugh, but the attempt was pathetic. They crossed a river and the thought occurred to her that she should carry on her earlier plans to get rid of Xellos by accidentally pushing him in to drown him, but she couldn't, it only filled her with more guilt. Maybe she should hire assassins to do her dirty work for her. But how would that look? A monster relying on human assassins, what a joke! 

She wondered how in the world she had managed to destroy so many dragons during the War of the Monsters' Fall without falling apart. Though it was an accomplishment she should be proud of, she suddenly found herself loathing the title of dragon slayer. Why did that golden dragon called Xellos affect her so much? It made no sense! In her mental quest for some semblance of logic, Filia concluded that her guilt couldn't be linked to Xellos, because she didn't care about him. Far from it, she hated him, really, she did. Then the only explanation that was left to attribute her guilt to was Beast Master herself. She had ordered for Xellos not to be killed and Filia had been bending the rules to try to get rid of him against her master's wishes. 

"Filia!" Lina had to raise her voice, as Filia was too caught up in her own thoughts to hear her. While Filia was analyzing the situation, Lina had lagged behind to check on Xellos, noting the scar on his tail. 

The arrow shape at the end was no longer pointy, but instead ended up in a crescent moon shape. When Lina had asked about it, Xellos grumbled something about living dragon cuisine and gave Filia an open eyed glared, which was not something he did often. Lina found it worrisome and it was even more worrisome that Filia actually took a bite out of Xellos. Well, if it was only a bite mark, Lina could pass it off as a weird dragon hickey, but there was actually a piece of tail missing and, even if she was not an expert on dragon hickeys, she was pretty sure that's not how it was supposed to go. Even for a sadist like Filia, this was going too far and Xellos was most displeased.

"What is it, Lina?" Filia finally responded, not too enthusiastically.

"I was saying that maybe you shouldn't be so rough on Xellos." Lina repeated, lowering her voice so that Xellos wouldn't hear her from a few paces behind. "I know that Beast Master only asked you to keep him alive, but I think it might be best to also keep him whole."

"I guess so..." Filia agreed without putting up an argument, which surprised Lina.

Then the redhead put two and two together realizing that the real Filia was surfacing beyond the version of her that was tricked into thinking she was a monster and compelled by her old ways to try a little too hard to behave like one. There was hope yet! If Filia recovered enough to act somewhat like herself, the journey would be a lot easier. Lina mentally gave the thought a bitter laugh. Xellos and Filia in their normal states were not the calmest pair around, all the opposite, they were the most chaotic, but they were still easier to deal with than Xellos and Filia with switched species. "I don't think Xellos is injured that badly, other than maybe his pride."

Filia gave Xellos another clandestine glance as a phrase came into her mind. 'The Sea of Chaos has no fury like a dragon scorned.' Was she the one who said that? She couldn't remember, she felt as if someone had said it about her, except she wasn't a dragon. Perhaps she was just confusing it with the human saying 'the Sea of Chaos has no fury like a woman scorned,' which fit Lina Inverse like a glove. She wouldn't worry about it though, so what if Xellos wanted to get back at her for taking a bite off his tail? Filia was a powerful monster, so it wouldn't matter what he did. He couldn't hurt her, right? No dragon could hurt her...

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Slayers: Chaos - Episode 014: Lethal! You Dare To Challenge Me?

The journey had progressed with eerie silence for Lina, Filia and Xellos. Though Lina's nerves were on edge more so with the tense quietude then they had been with the fighting from before, the sorceress consoled herself in thinking that they were almost to Seyruun. Pretty soon she would be able to take a break from all of this and maybe distract herself playing with Val and Palou. She assumed that precautions had already been taken to make sure no one who knew Xellos and Filia's true pasts spoke too much of them.

The trio of travelers had stopped to make camp and Lina made it clear that she did not want to be bothered. Night had already fallen and she was tired. She went to sleep next to the fire and for some time Xellos and Filia just sat there without a word. Finally, Xellos got up and left. Filia didn't say anything, maybe he was hungry or needed to go to the bathroom or something, it was not her business anyway. The monster general priestess continued to sit at the camp wondering if she should lull herself to a sleep-like state to create the illusion that time was passing by faster. Reminding herself that no dragon could ever hurt her, she laid down and fell asleep.

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While Lina and Filia were asleep, Xellos took the time to set up a trap for Filia. He drew a circle on the ground, carving symbols around it to boost dragon power and holy magic. In real combat this would be impractical, as it took a long time to prepare. Such methods were used more so for exorcism, purifications and healing rituals for particularly fatal wounds, assuming the patient could live long enough to receive the healing. It was also use for regeneration, though healing studies in that area were still in many ways works in progress, bones were especially difficult to regenerate after all. Becoming a chimera to recover a lost limb was the preferred method of high skill human wizards, but Ceifeed forbid that dragons dared to do the same.

Regardless of its many uses outside of battle, Xellos had made this circle of power for the sake of battle. Luring that temperamental monster out there was something Xellos was confident he could do without even trying. She was rash and volatile; she could be tricked into stepping into a trap. She was, he theorized, strong enough to survive this, but if she wasn't, then good riddance. Most of all, he didn't want to feel weak, he didn't want her to look down on him. If he could just show her he could hold his own in a fight, then maybe she would stop being so condescending. 

There was a presence near by that suddenly caught Xellos' attention. It was someone strong, but it was not a dragon and it was not a monster. The presence felt somewhat human, but not quite, it wasn't an elf either. Was it a particularly powerful human? "I know you're there."

The person who had been observing him for he wasn't sure how long, came out of the bushes moving gracefully. She was human in appearance, though her energy was somewhat similar to that of the dragons, but not exactly the same. Her haircut was similar to his, if only a little longer. Her bangs were noticeably longer though, covering her eyes in silky strands of purplish deep crimson. "Hello, Xellos," the woman greeted.

Xellos wasn't sure how she knew his name but he did realize who this woman was. Once her identity was clear to him he remembered or rather knew when he had met her. His memories were terribly blurry, but he knew. "Luna," she was the knight of Ceifeed, he had gone to her during the Darkstar incident and she sent him to find Lina. "What brings you here?" He asked with curiosity, because he didn't think the knight of Ceifeed would just be coincidentally passing by. Not that it was impossible, but it was rare for Luna to leave Zephilia without a reason.

"I have received an invitation to a small house warming party at a black dragon's new house at the Coastal States," Luna truthfully revealed. "I was just passing by on my way there when I sensed something and came to see what it was." She observed Xellos's trap. "You're really out to get someone, eh?"

"She deserves it!" Xellos assured. "It's that infuriating monster I told you about." He paused; the assertion had left him without too much conscious thought. Yet looking back at his own recent statement, silently prompted to do so by the slight shift of Luna's expression, Xellos had to ask himself why he said what he did. Had he told Luna about Filia? Had he written to her? He knew, instead of remember, that he did, but the exact content of the letter, or letters, were a mystery to him.

"I see..." Luna mused aloud. "So closely entwined, jumbled up together..."

Xellos gave her a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, good luck with your plans and most importantly, don't die." Luna ordered with more of a fierce commanding tone than anything else. This wasn't a concern as much as it was a threat, because if he challenged the power that he didn't remember was originally his and died to it, then Filia would pay the consequences in a strange indirect suicide-homicide with her lover's essence as the murder weapon. "That girl... It would take a particularly strong man to win her heart, mostly because it would take a particularly strong man to survive long enough to love her."

Xellos' only response was a small "eh?" Then the wheels in his head started to turn and he did not realize that Luna was talking about him and Filia. Yet his conclusion was not entirely inaccurate because the description could be ascribed to more than one pair. It was something that fit Lina and Gourry very well. "I get it," or at least, he thought he did. He had gotten the feeling now and then that they were being followed. Filia and Lina either didn't notice or didn't care to pay attention to the detail, but Xellos suspected that the one following them was Gourry.

"Do you really?" Luna didn't think he did. "Just be careful," with that final warning, the knight of Ceifeed went on her way.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was late into the night when Filia woke up. She sensed something near by, something powerful and went to check it out. She came to an area that showed no signs of being tampered with, at least not visibly, but the flow of energy was clear. "A trap?" She voiced. "I know you're there dragon!" 

Xellos stepped out from behind a tree and into the center of the circle, which was revealed in a bright glow as he entered it. Filia was still outside of it, but it didn't matter. She would step into it soon enough, when she realized that he was protected from most ranged attacks. Besides, blunt hits seemed to be what the sadistic monster liked; she preferred maces to energy beams from what he had seen. If he angered her, she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to run to him and try to crush his skull.

"What kind of obvious trap is this? There's no way you can win!" Filia materialized her mace in her hand and pointed it at Xellos. "Even if I step into this circle I'm much more powerful than you. You cannot defeat me, you pathetic piece of raw garbage!"

"If you're so confident, why don't you come into this circle and fight me?" Xellos challenged.

"I think I will," Filia stepped forward threateningly. She felt a great pressure around her and summoned up more of her inner strength to counter it. "Do you see? You're too weak, dragon. The monster race will always be superior!"

"You're really stupid, you know that?" Xellos grinned confidently and released the full power that was contained in the symbols on the ground. He focused and tried to call for additional power. He was lucky that the knight of Ceifeed was near by. She was not originally part of the plan, but he might as well include her.

xoxox xox xoxox

Down the lonely dark road, a relatively short distance away from Xellos and Filia, Luna stopped the steady rhythm of her walking pace all of a sudden. "I sense danger," she thought aloud. 

Just then, a band of thieves jumped out from behind the roadside bushes. "You got that right, lady!" The leader was a beastman that resembled a leopard. Answering to the name of Jay, he was a former member of a mafia gang controlled by a clan of humans known as Team Rocket. He supposedly died months prior, with his apparent death allowing him to leave the gang without being hunted down and killed for his desertion. Since then, Jay had formed his own band of thieves and dedicated himself full time to committing highway robbery on unsuspecting travelers. His gang consisted of both humans and beastmen of various sub-races including wolves, foxes and panthers.

"Calling for back up, are you?" Luna shook her head as she ignored the bandits and looked in the direction of Xellos. "I supposed that if I had been in range during one of Filia's rampages, she would have taken the liberty to call upon my power or rather, Ceifeed's power," she continued to muse. "I might have even lent her this power, but..." After considering it for a moment, she shrugged and allowed the energy to flow through her. "I might as well grant your request. Go on Xellos, take Ceifeed's power and wield it like a dragon. I'm sure Filia will have a ball teasing you about it when this is over." The knight of Ceifeed was surrounded by a golden glow as the energy of Ceifeed passed through her and answered to Xellos' calls.

"Hay, lady, pay attention, we're robbing you here!" Jay shouted in exasperation. He had his own band of fearless thieves now, so he deserved more respect than this from his helpless victims. Well, if he was going to be completely honest with himself, he knew that the gang wasn't entirely fearless and neither was him. If Giovanni, the mafia leader from his past affiliation saw him, he would be terrified and soon after he would be dead. Plus there was always the lurking danger of being found by the dragon spooker, bandit killer Lina Inverse. The thought of her scared him even more. Even so, as far as he knew, those terrible dangers were not near by, so the night's operations should proceed smoothly. 

"Hey boss, I don't think she's listening to us." One of the humans in the gang spoke up. He was a tall muscular fellow who looked like he had not shaved in far too long.

"Yeah, boss," a slender black panther beastwoman agreed. Her tone was sleek and elegant even when she was trying to be rough, though she was nonetheless, very deadly. "It looks like she's a sorceress and she's casting a spell."

"But she's only glowing," Jay encouraged his troops. "It looks like she's focusing on something else, like she barely even realizes we're here." Wielding two curved short swords, Jay approached Luna, who was a few feet away from them the whole time. "Alright lady, hand over your money and valuables or else!" As soon as he took a step too close and was within range of the bubble of power around Luna, the unfortunate bandit was blown away. Jay flew across the sky, thrown by a great force that he couldn't see. But now that he had come into contact with it, he could feel it and it was terribly painful, such great power!

"She's a deadly witch!" The bearded human yelled.

"Run for your lives!" The panther wisely added and the whole bandit gang, sans their unfortunate leader, ran away in horror.

After Luna was finished, the golden glow faded from around her and she continued on her way. She made no notion of acknowledgement towards the thieves, that continued to run away full speed, and kept on walking down the road. She had, of course, noticed that they were there, but she could not pay attention to every insignificant detail that crossed her path or one distraction would lead to another and she would be late to her invitation to the Coastal States. Besides, bandit hunting was her sister's business and she had no intentions of jumping on the bandwagon, least one day Lina decide to give her some waitress competition, which Luna could not picture happening.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, the power of Ceifeed flowed through Xellos, resonating with his own dragon power. "I sense... Ceifeed?" Filia glared. "Even if you managed to call power from your fallen lord's knight to boost your own, there's no way you can win. I'll show you what the great Lord Beast Master's general priestess can do! Don't you know? My power is only second to that of the monster lords. A mere dragon cannot defeat me, not even by calling upon Ceifeed's ghost!" Filia's monster energy increased as she called forth all her power. Dark and bright lights flashed from the site as purple and golden lightning clashed.

xoxox xox xoxox

Not too far away, power flowed and the ground shook, waking Lina from her slumber. "Ah!" She heard a scream and the sound was strangely originating from somewhere above her head. Lina looked up and saw a body the size of a human, but not quite human, falling towards her. Reacting quickly she jumped back and casted a spell on the falling target. "Levitation!"

The falling leopard beastman was saved from his painful demise and instead only suffered a minor fall when Lina dissipated the levitation spell. She looked towards the beams of white and black light originating from a location not too far away. Purple and golden lightning surrounded the area and the atmosphere was heavy with power. "What in the world is going on?"

"I don't know, but I'm out of here!" Jay didn't even take the time to realize that he was talking to Lina Inverse, the bandit killer that he so terribly feared. He ran away as fast as he could, which was actually very fast.

"Hey you! Come back here!" Lina yelled after him, but the leopard-man didn't stop. "How rude!" She grumbled, feeling cheated and disappointed. "He didn't even thank me for saving him from the fall and most importantly, he didn't give me a tip!" She stomped her feet in a little hissy fit that ended abruptly when she realized she was alone, even though she wasn't supposed to be. "Filia? Xellos?" Lina looked left and right, but she did not see her missing companions. 

Then it donned on her and she looked at the source of the powerful battle. It was dragon and monster energy colliding in fierce combat, but there was also something akin to her own sister's power mixed in there. Lina gulped and told herself to be brave. Even with the possibility of Luna being near by, or more so because of the possibility of Luna being near by, Lina knew that she had to do something about this. She couldn't let those two kill each other. Thus without a real plan beyond her quick temper and fiery determination, Lina rushed into battle.

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos and Filia pushed their power to the limit a little too harshly. Xellos could feel cuts forming along his skin because of the terrible pressure of mixing his own power with Ceifeed's energy, additionally amplifying it through the circle on the ground. Blood started to flow tinting his clothes in red and he knew he couldn't take much more of this.

Filia wasn't doing much better. Her monster power was stronger than the dragon power that Xellos' possessed, but his energy was amplified and he had help. This wasn't fair and it infuriated her. Why did she ever feel guilt about hurting that piece of raw garbage? In a rush of fury, Filia tried to knock out her opponent and end the fight. She summoned all her monster energy to the surface of her being as if trying to empty her very core to use even her vital energy to attack. It was a dangerous move considering that the power that supported her as a purely astral being was not her own. Something fell out of place, something was released and suddenly, Filia's power was flowing to the surface out of control.

Lina arrived near by, the trees, bushes and vegetation around the area were blown away and some were even disintegrated. "Filia! Xellos!" She called out, knowing that she couldn't get any closer to the fight or she would be killed. "It's too late," she bitterly realized, "I can't stop them now." She looked around, but there was no sign of Luna. At least Lina could console herself in thinking that she would escape being punished for letting things go out of control with Filia and Xellos, at least by Luna. But what if one or both of them died? 'If Filia dies because Xellos was killed in dragon form, when he gets his power back he'll have my head. If Xellos is the one to die, Filia will have my head. Worse yet, if Xellos dies or is permanently damaged Zelas will be the one hunting me down!' Suddenly, Luna didn't seem so scary anymore, at least not by comparison.

Staring at death in the face, Xellos had no choice but to pour all his energy into shielding himself as Filia's power flowed out of her almost completely. "Stop... stop... stop!" Filia called out desperately. She was fading fast; her very life was being drained from her. In a whirlwind of power she changed into her true form, a pink cone, and tried to call her energy back to her, but it wouldn't answer. For a reason unknown to her, she automatically changed back into a human-like shape, save for the pointy ears that she always kept, making her look more like an elf.

The energy that Filia lost surrounded Xellos, it mixed with his own dragon energy in a current of fusion magic. It was too much for him to handle. Why was her energy flowing into him like that anyway? He had never seen such an attack. "Stupid monster! If you use all your energy to attack me, you'll die too!"

"I can't stop! My energy won't return to me!" Filia called out desperately. The amethyst on her necklace began to glow. She had no choice, she had to use the energy stored there to call back her power or she would fade away. Focusing on that plan of action, she made the purple gem glow brighter as she coaxed the monster power to flow back into her body. At an excruciatingly slow pace, that in reality took only a few minutes, Filia's monster energy returned to her and the flashes of power all over the area faded away.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 015: Hope! The Long Road To Recovery

The air was thick but still, in fact, the area was so still it was eerie. Any wild animals that might have been near by had long since ran for their lives at the first sign of the commencement of the battle. Not a single sound pierced the atmosphere except for the ragged breathing coming from the bottom of the crater. 

There in the center of a crater lay Filia, her energy having been pulled back into her and thrown into an almost dormant state. She reasoned that she would recover, that she would be able to bring out her power enough to project herself in the material world properly after some time of rest. Yet in the deepest reaches of her mind, she feared that she would be ruined, not simply banned from interacting with physical beings, but truly destroyed, dead. The monster tilted her head to the side to the source of the breathing sound next to her. She did not have the energy left in her to emulate such functions as that of the respiratory system, even if they came so naturally, so automatically before, that they were almost truly involuntary. 

Fortunately for Xellos, the monster power that flowed into him, albeit very strong, was not pure. It had mixed with his own dragon energy and the energy he borrowed from Ceifeed, creating fusion magic. The pressure caused by it as it entered his body was enough to cover him in cuts and bruises, but due to the rebirth-like effect that fusion magic took, symbolizing the balance of destruction and creation, he had no internal injuries, which would have otherwise resulted to be fatal. He looked at the monster beside him. He weakly lifted his hand towards her, shaking and with difficulty. "Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite..."

'I failed...' Filia thought. 'I failed Beast Master... Now that I think about it, how did I get injured before? How did I get in over my head? I can't remember, but it must have been a fierce battle. How did I end up like this again? I failed and now I'll be finished by a dragon. At least I know he doesn't have the strength left to cast Ra-Tilt without repercussions. He'll fall along with me. Forgive me Lord Beast Master, forgive me, monster race...'

"Everlasting flame of blue..." Xellos paused in his chanting and allowed the spell to dissipate, letting his hand fall back by his side. "You still don't give me any credit."

"Hmm..." Why was that dragon stopping? Was he not willing to sacrifice his life to take her down?

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself and blame me." Xellos tried to snap at her, but he didn't have the strength to do so. Instead his voice came out calmer than it was meant, due to exhaustion.

A blurry image came into Filia's head; there was a human town in ruins. The image skipped and blurred further, changing into something else. She was embarrassed, something about being naked in front of many people. Someone said something about bringing out her true power. She was feeling sorry for herself, she was ashamed, but then she was angry. What happened wasn't her fault; it was someone else's fault. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she should blame him. Everything was his fault, she wanted to hurt him. She was bigger, she shot beams of energy from her mouth, why did she do that? He dodged, he always dodged. She called his name in fury, 'Xellos! Grr! Xellos!' His hair... his hair wasn't blonde, it was purple. What strange manner of awake dream was this? It was... It had to be a nonsensical vision of delirium. 

"Filia," Xellos could feel his senses fading, he was about to pass out. Hopefully at some point in the immediate future, Lina would find him and heal him before he bled to death. He was a dragon, he was strong, he would last until she found him, he couldn't doubt himself now.

Filia closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest, though she pushed away any odd dreams or visions that came her way. "Shut up, raw garbage."

It was the same degrading little nickname she had given him before, but there was something in her tone, something in the way she said it that was different. He was an enemy, a rival, not an inferior being, he was being acknowledged and it pleased him more than it should. He smiled, "stupid monster..."

"Xellos! Filia!" The pair was already unconscious by the time Lina approached the crater. She had protected herself with a magical shield, but due to her close proximity to the bursts of powerful energy, she was still blown away, though thankfully not disintegrated. Other than the pressure of powerful magic giving her a few cuts and bruises, she was okay. The redhead quickly healed her minor scrapes with Recovery magic and was as good as new, at least physically. Mentally she was both angry and worried. Xellos and Filia were more impossible than ever since they switched species. 

Lina finally made it to the crater where the pair of fierce combatants lay defeated. "I guess I should call it a draw." She went down into the crater and checked for both their vital signs. She almost freaked out when she realized that Filia wasn't breathing and her body was very cold, but she soon recalled that Filia was currently a monster. She didn't need to breathe or keep a certain body temperature to be alive. The fact that she was there, visible in the physical world, was proof enough that she was still alive. Xellos' story was different, but at least he was still breathing.

Lina stretched her arms and popped her knuckles. Her specialty was black magic, though she knew other spells. White magic may not be her forte, but it was a necessity and she had learned a more powerful spell than Recovery. "Resurrection!" She poured all her healing energy into Xellos, pushing the spell to the limit and casting it again, "Resurrection!" The bleeding had stopped and his wounds were closed. His breaths were calmer now, less forced, and his heartbeat followed a steadier rhythm. He would be fine after getting some rest, they both would be. 

The petite sorceress considered her options. She probably shouldn't leave those two laying in a crater on the ground, but she couldn't carry them, they were much too heavy for her. Well, Filia was astral now and she didn't have the strength to add too much detail to her physical form at the moment, thus she was probably very light, but Xellos was a dragon. When Gourry had carried a sleeping Filia during the Darkstar journey, he had complained that she was heavy and Gourry was very strong. 

'Don't think of Gourry; don't think of how useful it would be to have him here.' Lina sighed; logic dictated that a male dragon would be heavier, so if Filia in elf-form was heavy, more so would be Xellos. 'I know,' Lina mused. 'I'll cast levitation on him and push him through the air. Or maybe I'll just Ray Wing all of us to the nearest inn.' She could solve her problems; she didn't need Gourry for anything, she had to convince herself of that. She was fine on her own before she met him and she would be fine without him. Yet before she could put her plan into action, she heard something.

"Lina!" A voice very much like that of the man she didn't want to think about approached the crater. Lina's heart skipped a beat and she automatically went up to the edge of the crater before she could reason that she should have stayed down in the middle of it. Gourry was covered in cuts and bruises, but his sturdy body wouldn't be seriously injured so easily. "Are you okay? I tried to come help, but there was a big explosion and it blew me away!"

He was there; he was there the whole time, ready to stupidly dash into the center of the storm of opposing magical energies to help her. Lina frowned and looked away, "I don't need your help."

"But maybe you could use it," Gourry offered, slowly, almost cautiously, approaching the volatile petite redhead before him.

Lina turned around and instinctively took a step back when she realized how close to her Gourry was. The edge of the crater was right behind her and she missed a step as the heel of her boot only touched empty air. She was about to tumble backwards and likely land painfully on her head in the bottom of the crater, but Gourry caught her on time. 

Both his hands reached her upper arms to steady her on the edge of the crater. He smiled down at her, "careful..."

That smile, that strong yet gentle touch, they were what she adored, they were what she lost. She couldn't stand him, but she couldn't hate him either, she could never hate him. Lina stepped aside to be at arm's length distance with Gourry. "You're hurt..." she stated the obvious and without another word she got to work on healing him with her white magic. "There, you're alright now."

He smiled again; she had always loved his smile. "Thanks Lina."

"You're welcome, now go, I don't need any help." Lina hopped back into the crater and Gourry followed her. "Look, Filia has been turned into a monster now; she's an astral being so she's light. Xellos is a dragon so he's heavy, but I can use magic to move him. I can handle this myself."

"Xellos? Filia? You mean they're not new people? And this dragon, he's really Xellos transformed?" As Lina silently nodded in an affirmative response to Gourry's question, he looked relieved. "For a minute there at the Kataart Mountains I thought you got a new dragon boyfriend, but it was just Xellos being friendly the whole time." The swordsman laughed at his own mistaken assumption. 'I'll have to thank Xellos later for being so supportive of Lina.' He made a mental note that would most likely be soon forgotten.

Gourry's words caused Lina to become both angry and embarrassed. Yet a part of her couldn't help it but to wonder if there was a good reason for his apparent jealousy at his misunderstanding. Maybe he was realizing that he had feelings for her after all. Maybe he was regretful to break up with her. Perhaps she shouldn't have sent him away so quickly back in Zephilia. If they took some time off and became friends, then maybe he would realize how much he missed her and fall in love with her all over again. Yes, it had to work. "Actually..." Lina made up an excuse. "I'm feeling kind of tired; I don't think I can cast a spell on Xellos after all. Filia is light enough in monster form, but Xellos is really heavy as a dragon. Could you help me carry him somewhere where he can rest and recover?"

"Of course!" Gourry immediately offered. He picked up Xellos piggy back and soon found out that Lina wasn't kidding about his weight. He was heavier than Barbara, that ball from Rolly-Rolly Village.

Lina picked up Filia piggy back style too and they climbed out of the crater. The sorceress and the swordsman had only walked for a few steps when they heard a voice calling them. "Wait!" Several feet away there was a leopard beastman by the name of Jay.

"It's you," Gourry recognized him.

"You know this guy?" Lina inquired with curiosity.

"He was the nice man who broke my fall after I was blown away by the explosion." Gourry smiled in blissful ignorance of the truth of the situation. "Thanks again, mister, my fall would have been much more painful if you weren't there to catch me."

"I didn't catch you, you crushed me!" The visibly bruised leopard complained. "My gang ran off on me and now I got nothing!" Taking a close look at the red haired girl, he concluded beyond a doubt that this was in fact, Lina Inverse. "You... Lina Inverse... I lived my life in fear of someone, always in fear. I feared my past gang leader, I feared the mafia lord I later served and I feared you. I've had enough of that, it's over. From now on I'll be brave!" He pulled out a cannon-ball sized bomb from his cloak. How he managed to hide it there without it protuberating from the fabric was a mystery and there was probably an enchantment involved. He lit up the bomb's fuse with a match.

"Hmm..." Filia slowly opened her eyes. "What's all this noise about?" She realized she was being carried by Lina. A monster probably shouldn't be carried like that, but Filia was too tired to care.

"Just some crazy guy," Lina disregarded the threat, though a part of her remembered the past battles against Jillas, the trap he set up in that mountain maze and the power that bombs could pack. Maybe she should be careful; albeit she was confident she could bat away the bomb with wind magic when he threw it. She wouldn't wait for it to get too close to her though, least it go off in mid air.

Xellos had also just regained consciousness, awakened from his slumber by all the yelling Jay had been doing. "Mr. Leopard, I think you're about to receive an unpleasant surprise." He spoke in his familiar cheerful and playful tone, with a hint of a hidden knowledge that only he had.

"Threaten me all you want, I'm not going to run away!" Jay countered. "This bomb is not only at the peak of technology, but it is also enchanted. Technology and magic together, it's the ultimate force of destruction. You see, this bomb makes a shield around its immediate area, trapping the force of the explosion in that enclosed space to make it that much more intense. If you're caught in the blast, you'll be instantly reduced to dust!"

"That sounds powerful," Gourry stated the obvious.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Xellos commented. With a confident cheer he counted, "three... two..." Jay gave him a confused look. "One..." 

The bomb's fuse burned out and the explosive went off. A magical bubble was projected around Jay and his immediately surrounding area, though Lina, Gourry and their two passengers were at enough of a safe distance not to get caught in it. The result was perhaps more so an implosion than an explosion. The inside of the magical bubble was painted with shades of red, orange and bright yellow as a scream of terror was lost to the noise of a loud blast that sounded off very strangely as it too was contained inside the barrier. The bubble then turned black and gray as it was filled with smoke. Finally, the magical shield dissipated and the smoke was released to be blown away by the cool night breeze. On the ground where Jay had stood there was now only a pile of gray dust, which was also blown away and lost.

"He... was destroyed..." Filia observed in disbelief, "by his own weapon."

"Give the stupid monster a prize; she can make logical observations after all!" Xellos sarcastically congratulated.

"You were distracting him on purpose so the fuse would run out, you piece of raw garbage!" Filia shouted.

"Wow, you're really working on stating the obvious tonight," Xellos mocked.

"If I could materialize my mace, you'd be in big trouble!" Filia growled. "Never mind that, you are in big trouble!" She reached for the short sword that Lina kept on her belt and pointed it at Xellos. "Bring me closer to him, Lina!"

"I'm not a horse!" Lina argued and it felt like a combination of karma and deja vu. Wasn't that what Filia said when the group asked to ride on her in dragon form before?

"If this is how you want it," Xellos pulled Gourry's sword from its sheath and pointed it at Filia. "Let's go, Gourry!"

Unlike Lina, Gourry was amused by the whole ordeal. "This reminds me of when I used to play civil war with my brothers in the Elmekia Desert. Charge!"

Lina gasped and moved out of the way. She should have known that Gourry would jump into the insanity and take it like a game. "That's it! Darkness beyond twilight..."

"Yes, Lina, attack!" Filia encouraged.

"Crimson beyond blood that flows..."

"Oh, oh..." Xellos didn't like where this was going. He certainly didn't want to be hit by a Dragon Slave point blank.

"Buried in the stream of time..."

Gourry took a step back. He was pretty sure that casting spells during a game of civil war was considered cheating, but he wasn't about to point it out to Lina, not when she was in the process of casting a dangerous spell anyway. "Should we retreat?"

"Is where your power grows..."

"Not yet," Xellos decided. This was a risky move, but he had to try it. "Don't forget what Beast Master said!" The phrase previously spoken by Lina had resulted to his favor, so perhaps it would work now.

"I pledge myself to conquer..."

"Oh... I almost forgot," Filia admitted. "But she only told me not to kill Xellos," she accidentally revealed. "Lina, did Beast Master also order you to spare that infuriating dragon?"

Lina was not listening, "all the foes who stand..."

'I see, so Beast Master doesn't want me dead, but why?' Xellos thought in puzzlement. Unfortunately, whether Lina was given such orders by Beast Master or not, it didn't matter when she was too furious to think of the consequences of her actions. "Gourry, retreat!"

"Before the mighty gift bestowed..."

The swordsman didn't need to be told twice. Gourry immediately went on the retreat with Xellos on his back.

"In my unworthy hands..."

Reasoning that maybe she shouldn't be exposed to so much magic after such a fierce battle that she was still not fully recovered from, Filia decided it was time to leave too. She summoned up her monster power and it was just enough for a short teleportation. Fading away into the astral side, she reappeared above Xellos and Gourry, dropping onto Xellos' back, leaving him sandwiched between her and Gourry. "I'm coming along too!" Filia announced, leaving no room for arguments, but Xellos would argue anyway.

"Let the fools who stand before me..."

"This is a one man ride!" Xellos complained.

"Be destroyed..."

"At least she's a whole lot lighter than you," Gourry commented. He continued to run as fast as his cargo would allow, in a mad dash to put as much distance as possible between himself, his passengers and Lina's deadly Dragon Slave.

"By the power you and I possess..." Lina's voice was now an ominous echo in the distance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xellos complained.

"Dragon Slave!" Lina released the full potency of her spell in a massive display of power.

"He means you eat too much ice-cream pie!" Filia mocked teasingly.

The explosion of the massive Dragon Slave echoed through the area as a brilliant flash of light enveloped the premises.

"I would argue back, but right now I'm being crushed by a fat monster!" Xellos retorted. 

The power of the Dragon Slave slowly dissipated.

"I'm an astral being!" Filia defended.

The cloud of smoke and dust that followed Lina's spell finally settled.

"Which means that you can decide what you look like, so you must have really terrible taste to be so ugly!" Xellos teased, he wouldn't openly admit it, but he was enjoying their little argument.

There was now another crater marring the landscape.

"Have you never looked in a mirror, raw garbage?!" Filia argued back.

Through it all, Gourry kept running, while his feisty passengers kept arguing on his back.

To be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 016: Trials! The Never Ending Journey

Time passed and the evening of Topaz Ebony's house warming party at his new mansion at the Coastal States arrived. Luna entered the town, immediately noticing that there was danger all around. 'A trap,' she thought. The black dragon had been acting strangely when he invited her, albeit the oddity of his behavior could only be noticed by the particularly observant. Strangely, the town was deserted and a feeling of dread hung in the air. Luna quickened her pace towards the mansion. The tall front gates were open, leading to a cobblestone carriage driveway, which reached to the steps in front of the mansion's entrance.

Luna hurried past the inviting gates and towards the beckoning double doors of the main entrance that were already open. With great speed, she dashed past the doors into a grand hall decorated with dark colors, black, grays and wine, accentuated with topaz jewels. At its center there was a gray marble fountain with water flowing from the mouth of a dragon statue that resembled Aqua Lord Ragradia. The atmosphere was still and silent, foreboding. Luna wielded her knife, "her whole body glowing golden. "You're certainly a daring one to challenge me," her voice was calm yet fierce.

From the top of the grand staircase that overlooked the fountain, there came a man who was actually a dragon. His hair was black and shiny, perfectly straight, tied in a low ponytail and reaching to his mid-back under his black cloak. His eyes were a piercing gold, angular and long, like the shape of his face and his tiny nose. The rest of his clothes were also dark in color, presenting various shades of gray, making the topaz decorations on his belt and the front of his cloak to stand out more. "I will not be your opponent," the dragon replied with confidence. "I am merely a negotiator. Would you give up your life in exchange for the lives of the townspeople?"

Luna was not one to be easily pressured, nor was she one to panic. With a calm demeanor and solid serenity that somehow existed in harmony with the fierce power in her glowing eyes, she replied. "I have no guarantee that they will be freed once I'm gone. Furthermore, I'm sure that the plans you're trying to accomplish by getting rid of me will result to be far worse than the extinction of this town."

"Far from it, traitorous knight," Topaz argued.

"Traitorous?" Luna perceived that it was more than just a random insult.

"You are meant to try with all your might to defeat the monsters and yet when given the opportunity, you refuse. Is that not traitorous to Ceifeed?" Topaz accused.

Luna's expression morphed into a mocking grin. "No hurt feelings, eh? I knew you would insist upon that."

xoxox xox xoxox

A month prior... Zephilia was a very special human town, known to produce a great number of skilled individuals. It was a place where no enemy spy would dare to go, a place where not even the bravest and strongest bandits could endure. It was a town of sorcerers and swordsmen, a place of skilled magic users and mercenaries. Yet on the surface it had the appearance of a quiet country village where people spent most of their time farming grapes.

Topaz entered a boutique near the front of the town. Ladies were busily moving around making sure all the merchandise was perfectly arranged. They immediately notice the visitor and greeted him politely. The owner of the store, Tatjana Dayward, approached with a smile. "It is good to see you Mr. Ebony; it has been far too long."

"It has indeed, Miss Dayward," Topaz gave her a charming smile. He had not spoken to the formal designer since his fiance, Jewel Ivory, was killed by Xellos to please Zelas' whim of wanting a dragon hide designer purse as a Christmas present. The young white dragon had been quite a fan of Tatjana's kimonos and Topaz often gifted her new ones. Of course, Topaz had no idea that Xellos had secretly gone to Tatjana to craft the purse where her rival, Marty Lenford, had failed to create a product that met the needed standards. Very much less, he had no idea that Tatjana had done a stellar job and the final result had pleased Zelas well. "Pardon me for appearing on such short notice, but I wish to purchase a fine product from your selection of hand crafted jewelry."

Tatjana was pleased by the news. The rich Topaz Ebony was a very good customer to have as a regular. "Certainly, come this way and I will personally show you my best selections. Did you have a particular gem in mind?" She knew that the black dragon favored his namesake gem, the topaz, but his past fiance had preferred emeralds, rubies and rose quartz. "And might I ask who the lucky lady is?" Though Topaz had not made any mention of having found a new prospective bride to be, Tatjana certainly hoped he had. Another younger dragon like Jewel, for whom he'd have to wait until she was old enough to marry. Then he would spend the in-between showering her with gifts until she was surely his.

"Not just yet," Topaz admitted. If he felt any sort of sadness for Jewel's death, he did not show it. He would have very much liked to have her, but only because she was such a treasure, such an amazing beauty. "The gift I wish to purchase is for a lady who is not even truly an acquaintance. I know her by name and face as many people do, but we have never spoken. None the less, I feel it would be rude to show up to meet her empty handed. I must ask for your assistance in choosing the gift, for I do not personally know what the tastes of the knight of Ceifeed may be."

'The knight of Ceifeed! Luna!' Tatjana's mind buzzed with excitement, though her expression remained calm and polite. "I believe Luna might be fond of garnets." Or at least they would match her usual colors. Tatjana looked through the jewelry on display behind glass and reached for a wine-colored box, the covering soft in texture. It was cushioned in black on the inside where it held a platinum bracelet adorned with dagger-shaped garnet charms. The bracelet looked fit for a princess or even a queen.

Topaz reached for the box that Tatjana held out to him. Her forte, many insisted in the past, was clothing and she should stick to it. They thought she couldn't be good at designing clothing and jewelry as well. But when she launched her line of designer jewelry the world was dazzled into swallowing their words. His fingers traced the outline of the perfectly crafted bracelet. The garnets were of top quality and the cut was precise, giving the gems a splendorous deep crimson shine. "Beautiful," he finally spoke. "I shall purchase this lovely piece and I do so greatly appreciate your advice."

"I am only all too happy to assist," Tatjana smiled.

xoxox xox xoxox

A short while later, the bells on the door of the Inverse general store chimed as a man dressed in dark colors entered. Labyrinthine, who was at the front counter at the time, greeted him cheerfully. "Welcome, Mr. dragon, feel free to browse and let me know if you need anything."

Topaz paused, then grinned in acknowledgement. Of course she would notice he's a dragon even if he had never gone beyond the entrance of town where Tatjana's boutique was. This woman, though now enjoying the peace of retirement from her previous profession instead dedicating herself to the quiet life of a shopkeeper, was still and always would be, a powerful sorceress. "I thank you for your kindness. My name is Topaz Ebony, might I inquire of the whereabouts of the knight of Ceifeed?"

"Ah, so you're here to see my daughter, I'm Labyrinthine, nice to meet you. Luna is working at the cafe down the street right now, you can't miss it." Mrs. Inverse replied with a glow of curiosity in her eyes. "Say, Mr. Ebony, is there something going on? The last time a dragon came to town looking for Luna the world was set to end according to an ancient prophecy by the hands of Darkstar."

"I assure you madam, there is no prophecy this time," Topaz replied with a casual friendly laugh. He was telling the truth in what he said, but he didn't speak the whole story. To be sure there was no prophecy, or at least no prophecy that he knew of, but Darkstar was certainly involved.

There was a flash of something in Labyrinthine's eyes. "That is good to know," she smiled as if she perceived nothing more than what she was meant to perceive. 

"If I may be excused, madam, I must be on my way to speak to the knight of Ceifeed. I thank you for your guidance." Topaz' voice was polite, but Labyrinthine caught an undertone of cunning deception.

She smiled in a mischievous half grin disguised as pure friendliness. "Any time..." 'It looks like my girls will have a new adventure on their hands soon,' she thought. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Down the street from the Inverse general store, there was a quaint little cafe that Filia happened to be very fond of. At the cafe there could be found a peculiar waitress who seemed to have a constant aura of power around her. Topaz spotted her as soon as he entered the cafe and as they made eye contact, somehow he perceived that she knew he was there to speak to her. 

Luna exchanged a few words with another waitress away from Topaz's hearing range. Then she approached him with a smile that seemed to scrutinize his very being. Her eyes were hidden behind her long bangs, but all the same, her stare still felt very piercing. "Welcome..."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Luna Inverse, knight of Ceifeed." Topaz managed to maintain his confidence, even if Luna's aura was on edge. It was as if her instinct was telling her more than he could ever speak in words. "My name is Topaz Ebony, if I may, I would like to ask for a short audience with you... privately."

For a second Topaz thought he saw Luna's eyes literally light up behind her hair. Yet the shadow of the deep purplish crimson once again made such details imperceptible, making him wonder if it had even happened. "You may..." Luna agreed. "I shall bring you something as well, would you like to see the menu?"

Topaz shook his head, "that will not be necessary; I shall trust the judgment of your recommendation."

"Very well," Luna accepted. "Let us speak at a table on the terrace. It is a rather slow day today and there is no one there at this time."

xoxox xox xoxox

A few minutes later, Luna and Topaz were sitting at a table at the cafe's terrace. There were cups of tea and cookies before them and anyone who saw them thought they were just two young people passing the time on a calm afternoon. "First of all let me make a proper introduction, I am Topaz Ebony, of the black dragon Ebony clan. It is a small, but ever growing independent clan, allied to the Ilumina clan as well as several other clans that dedicate themselves to the well being of the dragon race's society and the world as a whole."

"Politicians," Luna observed and her tone was not favorable. Not that she judged all politicians alike, but the recent movement of dragon politicians was reminding her more and more about how human politics worked and that might not be very favorable, yet none the less, it was a part of the ever turning cycle of evolution and change. While many dragons still clung to the elder system, where the elected elder would serve in a position of leadership for life, others preferred a more dynamic method to choose their leaders along with the possibility of discarding them if they did not perform their duties in a satisfactory manner. In theory, the democratic method was the best, but reality was often a great contrast to theories.

Topaz didn't like Luna's tone, but he remained calm and polite, presenting a counterargument in a way that it didn't even sound like he was arguing. "Not only that, but true leaders who want to restore peace to the world and ensure the safety of the dragon race, the elves and also the humans. I do hope to one day form a close alliance with prominent members of the human race. While some dragons may be a little cautious about this, I recognize the ingenious and potential of humans."

Luna only smiled, but she was far from being tricked. Topaz wasn't going to soften her up by complimenting her race and trying to say between the lines that he was better than other dragons.

Seeing as Luna didn't seem to have the intentions of voicing any further comments, Topaz continued. "Before we proceed to discuss the good news that I have come to deliver with my visit, I would like to present you with a small gift." He produced the elegant box from his fine cloak and gave it to Luna, "Please accept this humble present as a token of my admiration and friendship."

Luna gracefully accepted the box with a polite, "thank you." She knew that the so called humble gift would be something flashy. As Topaz seemed to be expectantly waiting for her to open the box, Luna decided to humor him. She ran her hands on the smooth wine-colored velvet and gently lifted the lead the reveal the sparkle of exquisitely crafted jewelry. The garnets that adorned the platinum were a lovely deep crimson color and they were even shaped as daggers. The bracelet, Luna had to admit, was very her, if she wore sparkly jewelry and it was not something she often did. 

Topaz gave her a charming smile, "please try it on. Here, let me assist you with the lock." He took her left hand before she had the chance to reply, picking up the bracelet from the box and putting it around her wrist. "It looks lovely on you."

Luna's reply was a simple, polite, yet noticeably monotonous, "thank you." She was bored and did not care to hide it. She expected the dragon to proceed to invite her to some party or promotional activity that would further his political career by claiming he had the support of the Knight of Ceifeed. "Let us move on to the main discussion, shall we?" She picked up her cup of tea and drank.

"Ah yes," Topaz made a pause that, according to him and him only, was quite dramatic as he took a sip of tea. "I bring you wonderful news. You see, I have discovered a way to rid this world of the monster lords for good!" That was it, the mask of politeness fell and Luna had to laugh. Topaz looked slightly offended for a second, but he quickly recovered and continued. "I know it sounds too good to be true, but I assure you, I am not playing a cruel joke on you. I have contacted a noble being from the over-world and he is willing to transport the monster lords of our world to his and defeat them permanently. It is the one and only Vorfeed, the over-world's equivalent to our own honorable Ceifeed."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I very much doubt Vorfeed would make such an offer," Luna ascertained. "Who ever you might have spoken to, he is not Vorfeed." The real Vorfeed was most likely busy with the situations of the over-world and couldn't be bothered with the problems of a different world. Besides, Vorfeed wasn't even a he. Technically, it wasn't exactly a she either, not by the human and dragon definition, but she had a female persona, which caused her to take a female form. Luna knew little else about Vorfeed and the few details she did know were things she learned in dreams which the remnants of Ceifeed had seen from the Sea of Chaos.

"I assure you, I have spoken to Vorfeed and if you would just accompany me to speak to him, you will believe," Topaz insisted. He was starting to get impatient. "Just think, the monster lords gone for good. Think of the peace and prosperity that will overtake the world!"

"Perhaps," the first word of Luna's reply made it sound as if she was considering the possibility and it filled Topaz with hope that would soon be dashed to pieces. "For a time..." Luna continued. "With what is perceived by most as the ultimate evil of this world, the three remaining monster lords, Beast Master Zelas Metallium, Deep Sea Dolphin and Dynast Grausherra gone, peace would reign for a time. Celebrations would follow and the arts would flourish in the bliss of victory, just as it happened last year after the near end of the world was overcome. Yet that ecstasy has died down a year later and with the passing of time it will continued to do so."

Topaz misunderstood Luna's argument as an agreement. "Exactly! With this plan, we can make that victory lasts forever!"

"No victory lasts forever," Luna emphasized. "With the final battle won, there will be nothing left to win, nothing left to accomplish. After the excitement settles down, stagnation will settle in. People will find ways to pick fights of course, and perhaps they'll destroy each other by the absence of a greater enemy that motivates them to join forces. Those who do survive will be lulled into a sense of laziness as there would be nothing to combat, nothing to compete against. It will be a quiet world full of abundance, until people forget what perils are and thus forget how to overcome them. Then something simple, a small problem will destroy them. Those who survive further even then, will forget what sadness is and will feel peace until they become numb to happiness. Then with their emotions gone, they will be as good as dead." 

Topaz was unable to come up with a proper argument to speak, thus Luna continued. "Living creatures are made to evolve, to achieve, to conquer. When you accomplish something, you might take some time to rest and enjoy it, but eventually, often sooner rather than later, you'll be off to pursue your next goal, be it personal or professional, or trying to progress towards simultaneous different goals at once. That is how it works; there can never be pure stillness as long as there is life, for the only true stillness is death. That is how the Mother of All Things made it to be. I do not believe that you or your deceiving friend can defeat the monster lords, but if they or the dragons were ever to be entirely missing, the balance would be lost and the world would head towards its end."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 017: Critical! The White Knight Falls

Words could not describe the indignation that Topaz felt after hearing Luna's reasoning. "If what you're saying is true," his tone held only a thin veil of politeness as if he was ready to go into a fierce, and even personal, debate. "Then everything we do is useless because we'll never achieve a total victory, as such a victory will be a sentence towards a permanent defeat."

"Exactly, and it is because no victory is absolute that it is worth going on, to achieve the next victory and to survive the next defeat, learn from it and achieve yet another victory. To evolve, to remain in motion, to conquer, to do something beyond simply existing, that is to live." Luna didn't think Topaz understood. He was in the middle of the raise to power; he wanted to be a hero. 

He wanted the glory he had never tasted and he thought he could bask in it forever. He had always been chasing something and didn't know what it was like to have what he wanted. He wanted fame, he wanted glory, he wanted to be admired rather than criticized for his somewhat greedy ways and power-hungry moves. Topaz wanted what he did not have; he had not experienced holding his goal in his hand and realizing that he wanted more. He held the illusion that once he obtained what he wanted in the present, what he had wanted for his whole life, he would not be in want of anything else ever again. 

"Ridiculous," Topaz half growled. "Your mission is to defeat the monsters as is mine. Yet you say we must dance around victory never grasping it in an endless charade? Would the monsters do the same? They don't care about stagnation, all they want is destruction and when they kill all the living beings of this world, then there will be true stillness. That is what the monsters want; by defeating them we prevent the catastrophe!" By this point, he was shouting.

Luna's features were adorned with a mocking grin. She did not like ignorance and had little patience for it. "You are not a very convincing politician," she critiqued. "My choice is final, I will not be involved in your foolish pursuits and by the looks of it, the majority of the dragon race agrees with me." Topaz's frustration was evident on his face and as if reading his thoughts through his expression, Luna added. "How do I know? Because if they agreed, they would already be taking action without consulting me; you need me to convince them for you."

Topaz clenched his fists and teeth. "They do not agree with you," he growled. "They may not believe me, but they do not agree with you. Once I prove that I really can get rid of the monster lords, they'll regret waiting this long to trust in my words. I'll obtain their support sooner or later. I'm sure that the other dragons want the monsters gone too. They are loyal rather than holding on to such twisted notions of balance such as yours. The monster lords will be gone and it will all be thanks to me!"

"Leave," Luna's eyes flashed under her long bangs and the aura of power around her incremented. "Now," there was a pulsation of golden energy and the bracelet around her wrist shattered. It was fine platinum with genuine garnets of top quality, but the gems shattered as if they were made of fragile glass.

Topaz stood up. If the pulse of energy had been aimed at him, he would have been seriously injured and this was just a relatively small wave of power. He knew that the Knight of Ceifeed had to be strong, but he didn't realize she was this strong. "Farewell, Knight of Ceifeed." Without another word, Topaz Ebony swiftly left Zephilia.

xoxox xox xoxox

A week passed and Topaz later sent Luna a letter of apology excusing himself for his rude behavior. He wanted to make it up to her and invited her to a house warming party at his new mansion at the Coastal States. She had politely declined the invitation in correspondence, claiming she was too busy. Yet Topaz would not give up. He appeared in person at Zephilia again and politely pestered the Inverse family until Luna agreed to assist to the party. His behavior had been most apologetic and surprisingly humble. He could have tricked almost anyone, but not the Inverses. 

That series of events brings us back to the present time. An entire town at the Coastal States had been apparently taken captive by Topaz. Another man appeared on the scene wearing simple tight black clothing. Yet his attire still looked foreign with the way the long sleeved shirt, pants and boots melded together as if it was all part of the same skin tight garment that didn't have any visible zippers anywhere, making it a mystery how in the world he got it on. There was a loose belt around his waist with the metal hilt of a blade-less sword. "Greetings, Knight of Ceifeed," the man had long golden hair and piercing blue eyes. His face had a sharp and somewhat cruel expression marring his handsome features.

Luna narrowed her eyes behind the curtain of her hair and assumed a battle stance with her knife at the ready. "Darkstar," she breathed.

Topaz smiled with mocking superiority, "you are correct. Do not think for a moment that I was tricked into believing my associate was Vorfeed though. I have known the truth all along. Even if Darkstar may be the evil lord of the over-world, he is willing to do this world a big favor by getting rid of the three remaining monster lords. He just needs a little extra energy to transport them to his world. Then destruction will reign supreme in the over-world and peace in this world. A world of evil and a world of good, is that not the epitome of your precious balance, Knight of Ceifeed?"

"I sense a great sorrow, no, worse than that, an empty numb sorrow. Destruction and chaos are not your desire, it is silence," Luna concluded. She paused as she stared into the deep cruel blue eyes of Darkstar, who stood before her in a human shaped body. "You are Darkstar, but there is more... Why are you here like this? Where did you obtain this power after your defeat?"

"I was not defeated when Vorfeed and I came to this world," Darkstar argued. "Weakened yes, I'll admit, but aside from that I was thrown back into my own world. There Vorfeed and I went our separate ways once again to rest, recover and fight another day. Then it came, the remnants of something great, something ultimate."

Luna understood what he spoke of, this was far worse than what she was prepared for. "Last year the ultimate enemy assaulted this world. A being known as the Stillness, the opposite of motion and evolution, the enemy of the Mother of All Things that wished to truly end the world in destruction without creation. The manifestation of the opposite of the Lord of Nightmares was defeated by Lina Inverse and her companions. But it seems that a small piece of the Stillness yet remained after all and it fell towards the over-world."

"Brilliant conclusion," Darkstar mocked. "I am you could say, in a sense the Knight of the Stillness. But alas, my true body cannot so easily travel from one world to another, this vessel that you see is only an extension of myself. Likewise, the monster lords cannot so easily be transported from one world to another. Yet if the dragon race is convinced that their only choice is to get rid of the monster lords or die, they will cooperate. They don't need to know what will become of the over-world; it's not their business anyway. You will be the one who will help me deliver the ultimatum, knight of Ceifeed."

"You can only project so much of your power in this world and you need to transport the monster lords to the over-world so you can overpower them," Luna realized. "That means that you're not in your full power now!" She went on the attack, surrounded by a golden glow. Predictably, Topaz made a hasty retreat to hide at a relatively safe distance. 

Darkstar drew the metal sword hilt against Luna. A bright light emerged from it, disintegrating the knife held by the Knight of Ceifeed when it collided against it. Luna jumped back, that light was full of negative energy and it was exceptionally powerful. It was a weapon of the over-world somewhat similar to the weapons of light and yet at the same time different. Without a second to waste, Luna chanted a spell, calling upon the full power of Ceifeed that she was able to wield. 

In the second it took Luna to chant the spell, a woman in a white dress with long green hair, sad purple eyes and crimson lips appeared beside Darkstar. "Vorfeed is Vorfeed and Canal is Canal..." She whispered. "Forgive me Alicia, I am no longer the one who is to fight. Canal... Canal who was reborn after my first encounter with this world, she is the one who shall watch after Kain now that I cannot."

"Quiet Vorfeed, it's time to fight!" Darkstar commanded.

"Chaotic Disintegrate!" Luna released her spell full force. 

"Fusion shield!" Darkstar and Vorfeed called out in unison, raising their hands to stop the spell which Luna threw at them.

There was a great blast of magic that blew apart the structure around them and left them standing in the middle of ruins. An injured black dragon landed near by, it was Topaz in his true form. "Watch it! Agh... I'll be back later!" He retreated flying away, but no one seemed to acknowledge him.

Luna breathed heavily. That strange shield of fusion magic absorbed her spell and threw it back in a different form with destructive results. She stared at the minty green haired woman in disbelief, "Vorfeed!"

"How careless of you, Knight of Ceifeed, you could have killed the hostages. In fact, I think you did," Darkstar taunted.

"Do not think me a fool," Luna spat. "I know the people of this town were already dead. I knew it from the moment I saw you. You used them as a sacrifice; you drained their life energy to be able to transport a portion of yourself here from the over-world."

Darkstar grinned cruelly, his smile crooked with malice. "I'll sacrifice more humans on the way back too. Dragon energy I expect has a more lasting output. I want the transportation of the monster lords to be swift."

"You mean you need it to be swift, before they have the chance to fight back in their own world," Luna glared. Darkstar was exceptionally powerful, now more than ever, but this was not his full power. His full power was in his own world and he was confident that it was more than what the monster lords could handle if they were forced to face him at his best. Luna looked at Vorfeed again. "Tell me, are you truly Vorfeed?"

Vorfeed lowered her head. "I am and I am not. I hid away leaving a copy of myself to take my place. She has become more alive than I. We united during the final battle in my world, but now we are apart again. We are more disconnected than ever. The one called Canal is now the true Vorfeed you could say, and I... I am but a prisoner."

"We fused together you see," Darkstar continued. "Then when we separated again, only the half of Vorfeed called Canal left me while this half remains as a part of me. Since I am whole and additionally have the remnant power of the Stillness, this shadow of Vorfeed is at my command."

Projections, they were only projections, Luna realized. The real Darkstar and Vorfeed had a single true form that was hidden in the over-world. 'Even if I win this battle, which I truthfully don't see happening, I wouldn't be accomplishing much. I have no choice, I have to retreat.' "Freeze Arrow! Flame Arrow! Freeze Arrow! Flame Arrow!" Luna rapidly alternated the attacks as fast as she could.

"Such weak spells are no use against me!" Darkstar taunted. He shot a ray of black light at Luna, but the attack hit nothing.

The atmosphere was covered in mist from the Freeze Arrows melting against the Flare Arrows. "Ray Wing!" A bubble of wind shot through the mist and Darkstar was quick to pursue it, moving through the air without the need to chant a spell or grow wings, supported by his raw power. Yet when he reached the bubble of air currents, he found that it was empty.

Below on the ground, Luna hurried away, her speed enhanced by a Roller the Road spell. She pushed her power to the limit to get away as fast as possible, but suddenly something flashed in front of her and the next thing she knew she was being knocked to the ground. "Did you really think you could so easily get away," Darkstar approached.

Luna tried to get up, but her whole body was being electrocuted with her every movement. Darkstar did that with just one touch, she couldn't allow him to reach her again. "You will not get away with this!" Luna could hear an echoing voice in her head telling her to fear, to give up, threatening to push her past the brink of sanity. Darkstar was in her mind, but she stubbornly refused to surrender.

"It's over Knight of Ceifeed, you will only cause yourself more pain if you go on," Darkstar warned. "You can't stand, you can't cast any spells. If you move, your body will be electrocuted by the seed of my power that I placed in your mind. If you try to cast a spell it'll be worse, you are now a victim of my nightmare!"

Luna looked into his eyes, they were cruel and full of bitterness, but beyond all that there was an emptiness very much like that which she saw in Vorfeed's eyes. She hoped that the other part of her, the one she had called Canal was different, that she was full of life. "Electrocution, eh? It's not that I can't move and it's not that I can't cast spells. I just have to endure it!" Without knowing it, Luna echoed the words of her younger sister which she had spoken in a similar yet different situation. However, the vital difference was too big in this case. The power that Luna faced was something that not even Ceifeed could defeat alone. She pushed herself to the limit and once again called forth her power.

"Vorfeed," Darkstar commanded, knowing that Vorfeed could not refuse him. As she was a part of him now, he could bend her to his will. "Finish her," in the darkest corner of his mind, Darkstar hoped to get some satisfaction from forcing Vorfeed to do his dirty work, but there was none. She was empty, broken, this piece of Vorfeed was not his true rival, Canal was. Canal, his true enemy who was still hidden from him somewhere in the over-world.

"Forgive me, Alicia... Forgive me, Kain... Forgive me, Canal..." Vorfeed whispered as she approached Luna. The electricity ripping through her was too strong and Vorfeed, with Darkstar's power channeled through her, remained unaffected by Luna's final attempts to defend herself. "Forgive me... No, I will not ask for your forgiveness, Luna." Vorfeed raised her hand and against Luna's struggling placed it on her forehead, pushing back the deep purplish crimson bangs. 

Vorfeed looked into Luna's eyes and through the empty violet stare of the one who once held the strength to oppose Darkstar, Luna saw a small hint of life, a thread of loyalty to those she loved that could not be broken. Then she knew; the Knight of Ceifeed somehow knew that she would not die, but she had no idea where she would end up and in what conditions. Luna felt her soul becoming detached from her body. She struggled on the outside, but on the inside she let it go. Darkstar should not notice this, Vorfeed, although a part of him, was also her own person and she was doing all that she could to hide this detail from him. Luna's soul was detached completely and it vanished, being transported elsewhere, to a place far away, a place where it would be very difficult to find her.

The empty vessel of the knight of Ceifeed crumbled like a lifeless doll. Vorfeed, held up the empty body, preventing it from falling face-first into the ground. "Her soul has been ruined," she spoke in a monotone with an undertone of sadness. "The knight of Ceifeed will not be reborn again, but her body remains here as your puppet," she lied.

Darkstar seemed indifferent at first. He had not gotten the reaction he wanted from Vorfeed, she was so empty, so different, she was only a small piece, she was dead on the inside. Yet Canal was so alive, he hated her for it, he hated her energy, her will to fight. He hated how she was brave, how she was determined; he hated how she was alive. Then he reasoned that an important step had been accomplished and that knowledge brought back a half-hearted cruel smile into his face. "You will be her puppet master, Vorfeed, and I will be yours," Darkstar reminded.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, Seyruun the city of white magic stood proudly before the new arrivals. Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xellos walked past its gates and into the busy streets. "Finally!" Lina let out a breath. She was glad to have finally reached Seyruun at last. Granted she had been stuffing her face during the whole trip, but it was still terribly exhausting having to deal with Xellos and Filia. She was so caught up trying to make sure they didn't try to kill each other again, that she had not even began to device a plan to charm Gourry.

Now all of that could change. Now Lina could leave the troublesome monster and dragon pair in Amelia and Zelgadis' capable hands and focus on her own life. She had wanted a distraction, but this was too much. The streets were abuzz with people whispering about a disaster in the Coastal States, but Lina had no intentions of pausing her stride to eavesdrop on gossipy conversations and get the low down of gossip for herself. Instead she went straight to the castle.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 018: Disbelief! Unexpected Revelations

The Seyruun castle's land was noisier than usual with guards running about and Philionel in full king gear giving instructions, and sometimes shouting them across the courtyard. His eyes landed on Lina, whom the gate guards recognized from her numerous frequent visits to the city and did not question when she led her little group into the royal property. "Miss Lina," Phil walked over to her with a stern look upon his face. "I do hope you are not the one to blame." Because when a town was blown up, usually Lina Inverse was involved. Yet this was not only massive property damage, it was a massacre.

"It wasn't me!" Lina immediately defended on automatic. Then she paused and curiously inquired. "What was it that I didn't do?"

King Philionel let out a breath of relief, fully believing in Lina's words. "I'm glad it wasn't you, I figured it couldn't have been. It was too harsh, even for you. A town at the Coastal States was destroyed, there were no survivors."

Silence overtook Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xellos as they pondered on the revelation. "Who did it and why?" Lina inquired, her face growing serious. She knew that trouble was afoot, but she wasn't expecting such a large scale attack, at least not so soon.

"We don't know," Phil confessed with a frown. "Seyruun is making its best effort to rebuild the town in remembrance to those who once lived there, pay our respects to the family members and friends who had dear ones in that town, and overall keep the situation calm. It's only been a little over a year since the world was so dangerously close to ending. People can't take another disaster like that."

"Fear is thick in the air," Filia observed with a serious and perplexed face. Beast Master had not mentioned having intentions of launching such an attack, thus she concluded that this was the doing of someone else.

"Indeed," Phil nodded gravely. "But we can't let our spirits be crushed!" He tried to cheer them up. "How about we go inside and have ourselves a nice meal to recover our energy?"

"Now you're talking!" Lina cheered. Her theories and worries about the disaster were thrown to the back of her mind for now, as food occupied her most prominent thoughts. Since Phil had not made any peculiar comments about Xellos and Filia, Lina assumed that he was informed of their state beforehand, so as to not cause unneeded questions to arise.

As the group was about to head inside the Seyruun castle, Xellos spoke. "Wasn't Luna there?"

The mention of her sister's name made Lina's head turn towards him in alarm, her gaze scanning the area for signs of danger, like a wild animal fueled by adrenaline. "Was Luna where?"

"At the Coastal States," Xellos revealed. "I saw Luna right before my little quarrel with Filia and she said she was heading to the Coastal States. She was invited to a party by a black dragon." 

"Luna was there?" Lina mused over what this could mean. It didn't seem right at all. "The timing must be different. Maybe Luna got there and left before it all happened or she decided not to go. Maybe the dragon's party was moved somewhere else, dragons don't go out to human towns all that often anyway." Logically, if the Knight of Ceifeed had been there, the disaster would have been prevented. 

"Do you think Luna is alright?" Gourry asked with genuine concern.

"She's fine." The thought of Luna being unable to handle a battle simply did not compute for Lina. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation, we just don't know it yet." Her stomach growled, "and we won't be able to figure it out on empty stomachs, so let's eat!"

While Lina and Gourry walked next to Philionel, talking about what they were looking forward to eating, Xellos and Filia lagged a little behind. They looked at each other analytically with suspicions in their eyes. Perhaps it was time for a report, they both silently mused. Thus, after the meal, they each took a moment alone to update their respective leaders, or at least those who they thought were their leaders, on the overall progress of their journey and the things they had heard.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, far away in a well hidden elf village, Memphis was visiting her father. Mr. Linesword was calmly talking to his daughter as she updated him on the most recent happenings at the Kataart Mountains, while they did a little bit of rearranging around the house. Organizing bookshelves was not something Memphis pictured herself doing during her visit, but she humored her father anyway. "What's this?" She held up a little chest that had been behind some books.

"That is a very precious," and hilarious, "secret possession of mine..." Mr. Lineswords' eyes lit up as if remembering the tale that went with the contents of the chest. It was a story of several years ago traveling with a good friend from one peculiar town to another. "I'll show it to you, but you must promise to keep it a secret, especially from Milgazia."

Memphis curiosity grew with the warning and she immediately agreed to the terms. "I promise!"

Her father looked through the books until he found a specific history book, which didn't particularly stand out from the others. He opened it and retrieved a key that was hidden among its pages. He used the key to open the chest, which contained a rolled up thick sheet of paper, like part of a canvas used for a small painting.

Alarming noises were heard from outside, which made the elf father and daughter pause what they were doing and rush to the window. Suddenly, a monster appeared at the village. The creature was a black fox with silver eyes, two long thick tails and large prominent fangs. The fox monster howled like a wolf and began to chase after the elf villagers. Mr. Linesword was immediately alarmed, by the noise and more so when he ran outside and saw what the cause of the commotion was. Yet Memphis was cool, calm and collected, albeit slightly annoyed. Some elves fought with little success, others ran for cover in alarm. As for Memphis, she walked towards the beast with a confident stride.

The young elf woman had in her rush, picked up the rolled up canvas scroll from inside the chest and still held it in her hand, albeit she had no time to look at it. She recognized this monster and knew he must have followed her own scent to the elf village. She was the one who accidentally led him there, so she would be the one to handle this. "Leave this to me," she assured as she stood in front of her father and walked towards the beast.

"Memphis, be careful," the older elf cautioned.

"Don't worry," Memphis assured. "I know how to handle Fang." This was all a game to Fang, he was having fun by causing trouble, but being a monster fox chimera, had instead of diminishing his monster powers with the fusion, made him considerably less ferocious than an average monster. "Bad boy, Fang! Bad!" Memphis lifted the scroll and hit him on the nose with it.

Fang whimpered like a puppy and lowered his head. He had seen his fair share of newspapers from Zelas when she was training him to sit still during pet shows and had a certain amount of fear towards rolled up pieces of paper. But this was not Beast Master, it was an elf girl. Fang decided to rebel against her and snatched away the rolled up canvas with a swift movement. The instinct of his favorite game, fetch, kicked in and he teleported away to take the scroll to Beast Master.

Memphis pouted, but soon let out a relieved breath as she saw that no major damage or serious injuries had occurred. "He stole the scroll, but at least he's gone." She curiously looked at her father, whose face was rather pale. "Are you okay, dad?"

"The scroll..." Mr. Linesword gasped.

Curious, Memphis asked, "what was in that scroll anyway?"

Mr. Linesword's expression was worried. "That monster was one of Beast Master's, wasn't he?" To that Memphis nodded and her father ran his hand over his face in frustration. "Milgazia will be most displeased if he hears about this. I can only hope he never finds out, or at least that he doesn't link me to it."

With her curiosity at its peak, Memphis asked, "how come?"

Mr. Linesword let out a stressed breath, silently consoling himself in the thought that perhaps Milgazia would never find out who was responsible for preserving that scroll and how it fell into Zelas' hands. "What that scroll contained was..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Fang teleported back to the surface of Wolf Pack Island and approached Beast Master with the scroll in his mouth. He sat up, moving his front paws playfully and nudged the scroll into her hand. "What have you brought me, Fang?" As soon as Zelas took the scroll, Fang went back on all fours, wagging his two tails and making eager playful noises. "You don't even know, do you?" with mild curiosity, but not really expecting to see anything worth-while, Zelas opened up the scroll. Its thick texture was like that of a canvas and as she extended it, she began to see hints of a picture drawn on it. 

Seeing what appeared to be the ground and a pair of feet with brown boots, Zelas turned the scroll over, realizing she had been holding it upside down. Fang's puppy-like noises intensified and he rubbed his fur against her leg like a cat. He was a monster fox chimera, but his monster side was akin to a beast, thus he sometimes exhibited behavior similar to other animals. Deciding to humor her minion's little bout of impatience, Zelas picked up a stick from the ground and threw it sufficiently far away so that Fang would take a moment to return with it. He could teleport, but she knew he wouldn't, that wasn't part of the game.

Zelas turned her attention back to the scroll, now right side up; there was the ground and a pair of feet with brown boots. She finished fully extending the scroll and got a full view of the portrait painted on it. Her face morphed into a smile, her lips parted and soon the sound of laughter echoed. Some of the wolves that were near by curiously approached to see what had amused their master so much. Whatever joke she saw contained in the image in the scroll, they didn't really understand.

Galathia, a gorgon-like monster under the command of Beast Master, had just returned to Wolf Pack Island, just in time to see her boss metaphorically laughing her head off. She tilted her head, which was behind a thick veil that allowed her to see but did not allow others to see her face; least the wolves of flesh and blood that Zelas kept as pets would turn to stone upon laying eyes on her snake hair. Overtaken by curiosity, the monster, whose body was shaped like a snake from the waist down and as a woman from the waist up, albeit a woman covered in turquoise scales, approached. "Beast Master?" She called almost meekly, the tone rather unusual for her accustomed bluntness.

"This is... This is priceless!" Zelas laughed. Fang returned with the stick he had fetched and eagerly tried to give it back to Zelas. Without moving her eyes away from the source of her amusement, she took the stick and threw it again. Fang happily ran off to fetch it one more time. Then she turned the canvas paper over to face Galathia's curious gaze, which Zelas was aware of even if she couldn't see it behind the veil. 

A gasp escaped Galathia's lips and her eyes widened, imperceptible behind the covering of the veil, yet Zelas could clearly imagine what her expression was like. "That's... That's... Can I have it?"

"No," Zelas rolled up the scroll again and held it close to herself in a mocking protective motion.

"Oh please, Lord Beast Master, please!" Galathia begged. "Can I at least have someone make a replica of it?"

"I'm going to frame it and keep it behind glass hanging some place where my minions can easily see it, point and laugh," Zelas decided.

Pleased that she would be able to see the image often, Galathia smiled. "What an excellent plan!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, Milgazia was once again back in Wolf Pack Island after being summoned to play brass rackets, which was just an obvious excuse to have an information seeking discussion. He had visited all the largest dragon temples looking for information and had heard the story of Topaz Ebony's plans to get rid of the monster lords. However, the dragon race as a whole did not believe him. The black dragon had proposed consulting the Knight of Ceifeed and the council ruled in favor of that plan of action. If Luna backed-up his claims after calling upon the wisdom of Ceifeed, then the dragon race would seriously consider his plans.

Milgazia had pointed out that he never got to vote on that, but he was told that there were enough votes for the plan to be agreed upon regardless of what he voted for. Things were left at a standstill when Topaz claimed that Luna had requested more time to analyze the situation and properly consult Ceifeed's spirit. In truth he had been preparing his plans to get rid of Luna's soul and control the empty body of her vessel to his favor. Vorfeed's energy, which was similar to that of Ceifeed, could be used to trick the dragons into thinking that the Knight of Ceifeed was completely genuine. Unknown to Milgazia and the dragon elders, Topaz would soon make his appeal to the dragon race concerning his deceptive plans.

As for Milgazia, he had no real intentions of revealing anything to Zelas. Things were at a standstill anyway, but if she knew even the smallest of details, she could probably use it to her favor. She had not yet directly asked anything so far, instead telling Milgazia to follow her inside the hidden palace underground at Wolf Pack Island. "Have you heard about the disaster at the Coastal States?"

"Yes," Milgazia replied with a single syllable, he would try to stick to such responses as much as he could.

"Rumor has it the Knight of Ceifeed disappeared..." Milgazia presented no reaction to Zelas' revelation and she continued. "But I suppose just because she's not making her presence known doesn't mean she's really gone, at least not yet. It is still too early to say what ever happened to her." Still Milgazia presented no reaction, other then the hint of perplexity in his eyes mixed with concern. Zelas decided to leave the conversation at that. She wouldn't mention that her monster spies that were in the area had been mysteriously eradicated, thus preventing her from gathering further information. She wondered if this really was Deep Sea Dolphin picking a fight or something else entirely. With Luna's possible involvement her suspicions grew that this mysterious situation was much more complex than it appeared to be.

A low ranking monster that looked like a ragged cloak on a thin coat rack floated down the hall. It had no legs, instead the ripped edges of the black cloak brushed against the floor as it glided towards them. A pair of long stick-like arms held a mop and pail. The hood of the clock concealed what could have been a somewhat wolf-like face and only glowing eyes, one red and one yellow, could be seen. "I have cleaned the hallway and given extra attention to the affected area in front of the portrait. All that nasty gorgon drool Galathia left behind is now gone." Its voice run ominously, carrying much more foreboding than a simple report about clean up duty should merit to have.

"Very good," Zelas replied. She didn't sense Galathia's presence at Wolf Pack Island at present, so she concluded that the mid-ranked gorgon-looking monster was finally off to do her job after managing to tare herself away from the portrait at the hall. The odd low ranking monster on clean up duty bowed and stood aside as Zelas and her unwilling golden dragon guest continued down the hall. Finally, Beast Master stopped in front of a small but genuine portrait. "It's not too big, but I wanted to keep the original so no one says I made this up. This image was drawn by an official artist dedicated to the event it portrays. It is proof that it did indeed take place."

For a few, for him excruciating and for her amusing, moments, Milgazia was without words. His expression was one unlike anything Zelas had ever seen plastered on his usually serious face before. His mouth hung open for several seconds as his face became redder and redder. Then he clenched his teeth and glared, finally opening his mouth, not to speak, but to shoot a strong beam of laser breath that bounced off the glass which protected the preposterous image before him. Thankful for his fast reflexes, Milgazia ducked on time and avoided being beheaded, or at least injured, by his own laser breath. "I thought I destroyed all of these." Not even the villagers of that peculiar place had a single copy of the portrait left.

"One of my minions brought me this as a gift, isn't that sweet?" Zelas mocked sarcastically. "Galathia, you know that lustful gorgon with terrible taste, she has taken quite a liking to staring at this portrait and drooling all over the floor while she's at it. I personally prefer to point and laugh. I've done a bit of research, you know? How cruel of you to steal away the champion's records. He took five victories in a row, then another three. That time that he lost, it was to you. Of course you can't expect a human to be faster and stronger than a dragon."

No one was supposed to know about this. Milgazia had hoped to bury the event in the depths of the past and never think of it again. It had been over twenty years, it wasn't a particularly long time for a dragon, but for a human it was and the village in question was of humans. Plus they had their champion who took those next three victories to fuss about. Yet now that Zelas had this dreadful evidence, surely the results of a lost bet with his long time elf friend, Linesword, would not be forgotten. There on the portrait was Milgazia, holding a large ball at Rolly-Rolly village, wearing the typical attire used by those who participated in the festival, fuzzy brown boots and a matching loincloth, nothing else. 

"I think I see a peculiar similarity between you and the human champion," whom Zelas knew to be Philionel, the same one who was now the king of Seyruun. "Do you mind if I test a theory, just for the fun of it?" A cold chill ran down Milgazia's spine. He did mind, he minded a lot, but that wasn't going to stop her.

To be Continued


	7. Chapter 7

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 019: Farming! An Ordeal Of Strength and Wit

After a good meal at the Seyruun castle, Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xellos were ready to go on their way. Phil had mentioned something about people helping the Coastal States and trying to keep up with farming the lands around Seyruun in their territories all at once. Lina wasn't paying too much attention, but she half caught something along the lines of Phil mentioning that his daughter was there. Thus the red haired leader of the group decided to head to the farms just outside the main city to look for Amelia.

When they did arrive at the farming area what they found was not what they expected. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Naga's laughter echoed. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Keep at it, Gravy-baby," she patted Gravos on the shoulder as a form of encouragement as he busied himself tilling the land. Upon realizing her misunderstanding and recalling that Philionel did indeed have two daughters, Lina considered running away back to the castle, but it was too late. "Lina!" Naga had already spotted her and was rushing over to greet her. "Gourry, Xellos, Epona!"

"Epona?" Filia looked left and right as if wondering who Naga was referring to, but the eldest Seyruun princess had greeted everyone else already and only Filia was left, whom Naga was looking at when she spoke that name. Of course, Filia didn't remember that Naga had given her a nickname, which was suggested by the clueless but good intentioned Gourry, after the horse of a childhood friend of his. "My name is Filia," she pointed out with a pout.

Naga wasn't really paying attention to the correction and instead explained the situation. "I was passing by to visit daddy, Gravy and everyone when I was given the mission to make sure our farms continued to steadily produce even while so many working hands are off at the Coastal States, assisting in the reconstruction efforts. Your timing is perfect; you're here to help, aren't you? Look, even the kids are doing their part." Naga pointed to were Val and Palou were throwing seeds all over the place like confetti and being quite amused by the activity. With the kids at the farm, that meant that at least Jillas would have a quiet day of managing the Vases and Maces shop and the same could be said about Elena and the bakery.

Filia pouted, because she was being ignored and because she thought it was an appropriate expression of offense when someone dared to imply that a monster was there to help. Xellos remained quiet, not wanting to draw attention to himself in light of the present situation. Lina laughed nervously and was ready to throw out an excuse as to why they couldn't possibly stay to help with the farming, but Gourry spoke first. "That does look kind of fun, count me in!"

"That's the spirit! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Naga cheered and sent Gourry off to till the land with Gravos. The pair got into a sort of friendly competition and hurried their efforts, talking about random things and laughing the whole time. 

Lina let out a breath of exasperation while Filia continued to pout and Xellos remained quiet, as if trying to blend in with the background like a chameleon. "Oh, alright," Lina finally agreed. "What can we do to help?"

"Water the seeds Val and Palou are planting," Naga handed them three watering cans, unfazed by Filia's intense pouting and Xellos' futile efforts to become invisible. 

Lina glanced at where the children were throwing seeds. That could hardly be called planting, but she wasn't about to question their methods, least she risk ending up with more work on her hands. "Let's get this over with," Lina sighed. Before starting on her task she took a moment to pause and inquire. "Are Amelia and Zelgadis anywhere near here?"

"Nope," Naga simply informed. "Last I heard they were on their way to visit Taforashia."

"I see," Though Lina had considered hanging around Seyruun waiting for Amelia and Zelgadis to return if they weren't there when she arrived; she had to reconsider that option. If she stayed in Seyruun, she would end up stuck working the land and she didn't want that, nor did she want to expose her ears to the sound of Naga's obnoxious laughter more often than necessary. Thus the redhead reasoned that they would spend the night in Seyruun and head out towards Taforashia early in the morning, after a big breakfast of course. "By the way, Naga, what's your job in all of this?" Lina questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

"I am supervising," Naga cheerfully informed. "I'm also cheering everyone with my wonderful laughter so that they'll be able to work better. Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"Right," Lina pouted, she should have expected something like that. Since she planned to leave the next day anyway, she decided to put up with it. "Well, let's go," she walked off towards the trail of seeds that Val and Palou were spreading after Gourry and Gravos. 

"You can't be serious," Filia complained, shaking the watering can she was given in upset motions and splashing some water on Xellos in the process. "Monsters are not supposed to do good deeds. All this manual labor is a dragon's job!" She shoved the watering can into Xellos' hands, splashing him with water again."

"Right, leave it to the capable dragon instead of the stupid lazy monster!" Xellos dared to splash Filia with water.

The action elicited a gasp of shock from Filia. "You did that on purpose!" She accused, and grabbing the watering can out of his hand again, she dumped its contents over his head.

"Hmp!" Filia tossed the empty watering can over her shoulder carelessly. She threw her head back and crossed her arms, looking smug. 

Xellos looked annoyed, but he soon let out his annoyance by mimicking Filia's actions. He emptied his own watering can over her head, tossed it aside just as she had and mirrored her posture and smug expression with a similarly indignant, "hmp!"

Lina knew that this was the start of another war. Desperate to stop it before the Seyruun farmlands became a crater on the ground; she dropped her watering can and rushed to step between Xellos and Filia. She pushed them by the shoulders left and right with the palms of her gloved hands to try to put some distance between them before they went for each other's throats, which would be a bigger problem more so in the case of the golden dragon. "I bet you two couldn't plant crops in a farm if your life depended on it!"

Taking the bait, Filia growled. "Why would a monster plant crops? We don't need that kind of food and Beast Master's pet wolves are carnivores anyway."

"Oh well," Lina looked thoughtful as she continued her desperate act as referee. "It's just that I've always thought monsters were better at everything than dragons, but I guess I was wrong. Dragons must be way better at farming. It's not a thing of necessity what I'm talking about here, but rather a matter of skill."

Filia was quick to argue back. "Even if monsters have no reason to farm, we are better at it than dragons. Your initial wise perception was correct, monsters really are better than dragons at everything. Just watch me, I'll prove it!" With that fiercely challenging declaration made, Filia ran off to the opposite side of the farm. She began using her giant mace of monster energy to till the land, than spread the seeds on it with wind and called forth water with magic to water them.

"Real smooth, Lina," Xellos commended.

"Are you going to let her show you off?" Lina encouraged. "Go show her what a golden dragon can do!"

"Oh no, I'm not so easily tricked," Xellos grinned.

"If you say so," Lina pretended to give up on persuading him to work, but soon added. "She's going to be real smug when she takes care of most of the farm on her own. She'll show off about it and shove it in your face."

"Then I'll just tease her about what a good deed she did," Xellos countered.

"She'll assure that it was only for the purpose of proving that monsters are better than dragons and I'll take her side and tell her not to listen to the useless jealous dragon who's just being a sore loser," Lina smugly declared.

Xellos pouted, "now that's just mean. I guess I have no choice then. You got me, I can't let that annoying monster's head grow any bigger. Alright, count me in!" Xellos ran off to compete with Filia. Reasoning that he would be faster in his larger form, he turned into a golden dragon.

"Well, that takes care of that," Lina grinned, proud of her own wit. The would-be crisis had been averted and now Filia and Xellos were pouring their energy into farming the land. 

xoxox xox xoxox

By the time the sun started to set over the Seyruun farming area, the whole stretch of land was ready to produce. "Well done everyone! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Naga commended. "I didn't think we could get this whole place ready in a day, but here it is! Let's give ourselves a victorious laugh! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Naga looked towards another stretch of land a distance away from the area where they stood. "I'm full of energy, I'm inspired, I'm ready to finish a two week job in a single day. Let's do the same for the other cultivation land over there! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"No way!" Lina protested, while in the background Filia and Xellos argued about who was the better farmer. "We're done for the day. Now it's time to go back to the castle and have another big meal!"

"C'mon Lina, my greatest rival can't be tired so easily. If you give up, then I'll do this myself!" Naga eagerly stepped forward and began to work her magic. In her excitement, she didn't realize that the large stone golem she was making would trample all over the land they just took care of that day. Soon the creature towered over the land with Naga riding on its head.

"Aunty Naga!" Val and Palou called to her. "We want to ride too!"

"Hop on my brave little helpers! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" The golem commanded by Naga stretched out its arms to pick up the children, setting them on its shoulders. "Go my farming golem! Go! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

Quite frankly, Naga was making a mess, and yet at the same time, the golem's farming methods seemed strangely effective. Sure, there were large footprints left all over the place, but at least the soil was sufficiently loosened for planting. Seeds were thrown like a massive rain of confetti and water was spread all over by magic, getting everyone in the premises wet, which finally took Xellos and Filia's attention away from their farming competition argument.

Lina pouted as she watched the golem work. "Why didn't she just do this from the beginning?!"

"That human infuriates me!" Filia growled. "How dare she be so disrespectful to Lord Beast Master's general priestess?"

"I don't think your rank matters much to her," Xellos teased.

"Shut up raw garbage, I don't want to keep dealing with you!" Filia yelled.

"Um, guys..." Gourry, who had been resting from the day's work along with Gravos, pointed at the area behind Lina, Xellos and Filia.

"Not now, Gourry," Lina massaged her temples. After the hard day of work she had, she was not in the mood to deal with Gourry's less than enlightened comments, no matter how adorable he may be.

"But it's..." Gravos pointed along with Gourry and Lina gave him a questioning look, prompting him with her eyes to finish what he was going to say. "It's coming back this way."

The farming golem was indeed on its way over, ready to carelessly step on anything and anyone in its path. Lina, Gourry, Gravos, Xellos and Filia hurried to get out of its way and watched as it headed towards the general direction of the main city of Seyruun. Naga was yelling at it to turn around, but the golem wasn't listening. 

"It's out of control!" Lina realized. "Giving orders all day must have tired Naga, she doesn't have the focus required to control her own golem right now. Looks like we'll have to destroy it! Someone get the kids out of the way, I'm firing!" Eager to let out some tension, Lina began to chant. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."

"Stop!" Xellos and Filia chorused and upon realizing their synchronization they glared at each other. 

"Miss Lina," Filia spoke in a scolding voice. "You cannot ruin today's work until everyone has clearly seen that monsters are better at farming than dragons. After that has been proven, only then you may turn this farmland into a big crater on the ground."

"You mean she can turn the farmland into a big crater on the ground after everyone has clearly seen that dragons are better at farming than monsters," Xellos corrected.

"How about you don't turn this land into a crater at all?" Gravos quickly suggested.

"Oh, all right!" Lina stopped her chanting and allowed the spell to dissipate. "But we have to do something! If Seyruun is destroyed by that crazy farming golem, I won't be able to have dinner in peace tonight and I probably won't get a big breakfast tomorrow. I need the energy for the travels ahead!" She looked to all her companions for ideas, Xellos, Filia, Gravos and the one whom she didn't expect to get any ideas from but would secretly draw strength from, Gourry... Wait a minute, where was he? "Gourry?"

Upon realizing that the swordsman was missing from their ranks, the group looked around until they spotted him. Gourry was running full speed towards the out of control golem, climbing up its leg, then up its back, while the stone giant trashed about trying to shake him off. "Naga, take the kids and levitate away from here!" Gourry called out.

"Right, let's go, aunty Naga will protect you." She picked up Val and Palou, who pouted at her because they were actually enjoying the ride. Then she jumped off the golem with a spell of levitation. "Abandon ship! I mean abandon golem!" Naga landed near Lina and the others and set the children safely on the ground. "We made it! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"Gourry's still up there!" Lina exclaimed with concern. She certainly couldn't blow up the golem now.

"Sorry buddy, but you're out of control, so I'll have to slay you." Gourry dramatically declared. Then he took a peculiar sword handle from his belt. That's when Lina noticed he was carrying two swords. One was a regular metal sword that he had before and the other was that blade-less handle, it looked familiar, almost like... "Light come forth!" 

"The sword of light?" Lina watched as the brilliant light of the blade cut off the golem's head. 

The creature was far from beaten and when Gourry thought he had won, the golem threw him off backwards. The skilled swordsman turn right side up in the air and extended the sword's light to reach the stone arm of the golem. He pushed up with the sword to propel himself and did a front flip, landing on the creature's arm. He dashed up the stony limb and cut it at the shoulder, quickly doing the same for the other arm. Then he sliced the golem down in the middle, cutting the torso vertically in half. The pieces of the golem lost their incantation and the blade of the sword of light glowed ever brighter. 

Gourry landed on his feet after the feat. He retracted the light from the sword and set the handle back on his belt as Lina rushed over to him. First things first, she looked him over for injuries and confirmed that he was alright. Then she examined the sword hilt that once again was on his belt. "Can I see that?"

"Sure," Gourry retrieved the hilt of the sword of light and allowed Lina to examine it.

She ran her fingers over the familiar yet alien material. "It's genuine," she could somehow feel it. This wasn't another replica made by Pokota or anyone else. This was the sword of light, the very same sword of light that Gourry had before. This was Gorun Nova, one of the weapons of light that was so vital during the Darkstar battle. "This is the original Gorun Nova, isn't it?" She handed it back to Gourry.

"Yes it is," Gourry smiled, as if holding the sword again filled him with joy. He had willingly let it go, even though it had been in his family for many generations. He reasoned that it was the rightful property of the people of the over-world, but now that it was back in his hands, he realized more than ever that he missed it for more reasons than its obvious usefulness and power. That sword was as dear to him as a traveling companion, as an ally and as a friend, even if he didn't say it.

"How in the world did you get it back?" Lina's mind was buzzing with questions that held no answers just yet. A quick glance at the thoughtful yet puzzled expressions on Xellos and Filia's faces revealed that they too were confused by the sudden appearance of the sword of light back in Gourry's possession.

"While I was separated from your group, as I tried to catch up, I saw a woman with long green hair in a white dress on the road. She said something like, 'this sword might enjoy traveling with you,' and gave me the sword of light," Gourry explained. "At first I thought she was a sword smith looking for a good owner for her creation, but then I realized that this sword is the same one I had before. I would recognize it anywhere; this is the same sword of light that was passed down in my family. I kept looking at the hilt in surprise and when I looked up to ask the woman about it, she was already gone. I looked around but I couldn't see her. It was as if she disappeared."

Gourry's account of the events which led to the recovery of the sword of light was very suspicious. Something big was definitely going on and it was closer than anyone knew. "A quarrel between monsters?" Lina shook her head. "No doubt about it, this is much more than that." She was already involved, there was no turning back now and she wasn't one to run away from a fight anyway. Although, she would rather have her usual team assembled sooner instead of later. "Naga, stick around in Seyruun for a while longer and make sure everything's alright here. There's trouble in the air."

"Right, you can count on me!" Naga's face was serious and determined, though she still added her signature laugh at the end of her declaration of assurance. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"Gourry, Filia, Xellos, we'll head back to Seyruun for now and spend the night." Lina, the unquestionable leader of the group decided. "Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we'll leave right after breakfast. Our destination is Taforashia." Amelia and Zelgadis should be there, plus Pokota was there and Lina wanted to have a word with him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 020: Startling! Another Dragon In Distress

On their way to Taforashia, Lina, Gourry, Xellos and Filia stopped at a town. It was the same as always, Lina and Gourry cleaned up all the supplies of the local restaurant and after spending the night at the town's inn, the group would once again be on their way. The suspicious occurrences that had taken place lately had Filia wondering what would happen next. She strayed from the group and wandered around town for a while, blending in surprisingly well. 

The street merchants called out various phrases to advertise their products, but one specific merchant stood out to Filia above all the others. He wasn't any louder than the rest of them, but her pointy ears picked out his words above the shouts and murmurs of the busy streets. "Berries, get your berries. Just make sure you don't give them to dragons or they'll go crazy!"

Driven by curiosity and mischievous intentions, Filia approached the man behind the booth. His hair was black, about mid-back length tied in a low ponytail. She looked at his peculiar violet eyes that reminded her of Xellos eyes, except this man seemed to b a human. There was something in the back of her mind that told her she had seen him before, but she couldn't remember. She looked at the berries he sold; they were red and somewhat heart-shaped. "Will these berries really drive a dragon crazy?"

"Oh yes, very crazy!" The mysterious man smiled, showing that his fangs were slightly longer than those of an average human, but his energy was still like that of a human. There might have been a hint of something else in his aura, but it was very well hidden.

"I'll buy a box!" Filia's interpretation of the merchant's warning was that a dragon who consumed the berries would act stupidly insane. She didn't ask any further questions so he didn't give her any further specifications. 

As Filia ran off with her purchase in her hands, the mysterious merchant grinned, his expression similar to that of Xellos. "Increment the chaos around Xellos, that was the order I received from Lord Beast Master," he mused aloud. "The methodology was of my own device, you can thank me later, dear brother." The man, or rather the human and monster chimera, faded into the astral side, returning to his duties at Amor Resort, a very peculiar secret monster training facility.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later at the inn, Lina, Gourry and Xellos were hanging around idly, since there was no way they could make it to the next town before sundown and Lina wasn't in the mood to camp out tonight. Filia wasn't sure which room Xellos was staying at, but she had a very simple plan to figure it out. She walked right up to him and asked. "What room are you in, raw garbage? I want to know so I can stay in the room furthest away from you."

"I'm in room number five in the second floor," Xellos replied rather nonchalantly.

"Then I'll be in the opposite end of the inn." With that announcement made, Filia teleported away. 

Meanwhile, Lina had been sitting at the opposite end of the inn's common room and was unable to hear the exchange between the monster and the dragon. She was trying to make some kind of friendly conversation with Gourry, but wasn't sure what to say. She was supposed to be charming him, but she didn't know how. All she ever did around him was be herself, but she was convinced that alone wouldn't work. Deciding that perhaps she should wait until she ran into Amelia and ask for a little help with her situation, Lina delayed her plans for the time being and decided to head upstairs to her room.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Filia had teleported to the hallway of the inn's second floor. She looked at the numbers carved on the brown wooden doors. The inn had nothing peculiar about it, with an ordinary appearance and ordinary rooms filled with common wooden furniture and plain white sheets and pillows. One of the doors, the first one in the hallway was labeled 2-1, she continued walking down the hall past doors 2-2, 2-3 and 2-4. Finally she found herself in front of door 2-5. Without a second thought, she phased through the door and entered the room.

The room was just as generic and boring as all the other rooms at the inn. There was a bundle of something tossed in a corner in what appeared to be a black cape. Albeit Filia didn't examine it closely enough to realize that it was Lina's and not Xellos' cape. She set the box of berries on the little wooden table's surface and left it there. Her aim was that Xellos assumed it was room service or something and ate the berries. Then he would go crazy and embarrass himself. She couldn't wait to see what he would do. With a mischievous expression and a gleeful giggle, Filia teleported away and waited, hoping to hear the sounds of a commotion soon from room 3-5, which was directly above room 2-5.

xoxox xox xoxox

Soon after Filia had left room 2-5, Lina retired to her inn room, finding a mysterious box upon the table. She curiously opened it and was delighted to find that its contents were edible. She picked up one of the red heart-shaped berries from inside the box and put it in her mouth. The berry was delicious and though it had a dark history and peculiar side effects for dragons, it was harmless to human consumption. Thus Lina began to happily devour the berries. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, from his position in room 2-3, Xellos waited eagerly to hear the sounds of a commotion when whatever Filia was planning to trouble him with was unleashed upon the lethal Lina Inverse. However, all that he could hear were the sounds of Gourry snoring from room 2-4 next door. Curious about what was taking so long, Xellos cautiously exited his room and made his way down the hall towards room 2-5. He placed his ear against the door, but didn't hear anything particularly suspicious though he did hear some loud chewing noises. 

For a moment Xellos wondered if he should be concerned. Maybe Filia had left food there to poison him and now Lina was eating it. If the poison Filia had managed to get was indeed strong enough to knock out, and perhaps even kill, a golden dragon, then a human didn't stand a chance against it. He knocked on the door least he risked angering Lina for the terrible crime of 'entering a lovely maiden's room without permission,' as it sounded like something she would say, most likely after throwing a blunt object at him.

"Come in," there came Lina's eager voice from the room and Xellos had to wonder if she thought her visitor was someone else, perhaps Gourry. Xellos opened the door to room 2-5 and let himself in. The disappointment was evident on Lina's face as her previously smiling expression fell. "Oh, it's you. What do you want this late?"

Xellos eyed the nearly empty box on the table. There were a few heart-shaped red berries left in it. "I just came to visit." He moved closer to look at the box's contents with suspicious eyes. "Looks like you're having a nice snack. Out of curiosity, where did these berries come from?"

Lina smiled at the thought of the berries. She didn't really know where they came from, but she had come up with her own wishful thinking theory. "They're a gift from Gourry, just for me."

Lina answered with such certainty that Xellos couldn't help it but to believe her. "I see..." He looked around the room as if searching for a hidden trap. "Have you noticed anything suspicious around your room?"

"Not really," Lina mused, her gaze becoming suspicious. "Why do you ask?" Her tone was growing serious as she considered the possibility of the town being attacked. "Have you noticed anything?"

"Not really," there was no way Xellos was going to admit he tried to trick Filia into aiming whatever plans she might have had at the wrong target. Thinking back on it, maybe the reason for her question really was as simple as wanting to be as far away as possible from him as the inn's structure would allow. "I just had a bad feeling, that's all."

"I see..." Even if Xellos had sounded disregarding of his supposed bad feeling, Lina decided to take a small precaution. She approached the window and looked outside, finding nothing really suspicious about the now quiet street below. Just in case, she closed the window and made up her mind to get an early start tomorrow moving on with their journey. "We need to be on our way early tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep now," as soon as she ate the rest of her berries.

"Right, then I bid you good night," Xellos left Lina's room and headed back to his own.

After Xellos was gone, Lina turned her attention back to the nearly empty box of berries on the table. "Hmm..." There was something definitely out of place about it. She could have sworn there was one more berry left in there, though only Lina Inverse would be so attentive to details about food and their quantity. Did Xellos steal one of her berries? Her, Lina Inverse, the sorceress who was known to wield the Dragon Slave spell with such power and frequency? Lina shook her head, "nah!" She was probably just tired and didn't properly perceive the amount of berries before. There was no way Xellos could be suicidal enough to mess with her food.

xoxox xox xoxox

While Xellos' visit to Lina was taking place, Filia was getting impatient up in room 3-5. She considered interfering to speed things along, but that would most likely alert Xellos about her trap and ruin the plan. She was growing tired of listening to Gourry's loud echoing snores, so she teleported outside of the inn and took in the fresh air of the night. A man in dark clothing walked down the street and looked towards the inn. He didn't go inside, but instead turned away and faded.

Filia recognized the man as the same merchant that had sold her the berries. He reappeared again only a few feet away from her and she could finally sense his aura clearly. He was a human, but also a monster. Then she knew, she wasn't sure how she had forgotten the detail before, but she now knew who he was. "Celo," she voiced his name. He was a human monster chimera under the command of Lord Beast Master. Did he purposely place the berries in her reach to assist her in getting back at that annoying golden dragon? 

"Greetings Filia," Celo spoke with his usual extreme tone of respectfulness. "It is a lovely night, is it not? Yet I would think that you have more pressing matters to tend to at this time. Pardon me for daring to ask, but why are you out here at a time like this?"

"So I was right," Filia expressed her conclusion rather than answering his question. "You did set me up to find the berries so that I would take revenge on Xellos." She wasn't particularly bothered by it. He was her ally serving Lord Beast Master after all. "I left the berries for Xellos, but I don't hear the sounds of a commotion. Maybe he has not had any yet. How loud are they supposed to make him anyway?"

"My lady, I assure you I don't know," Celo ascertained. 'Albeit for certain your most deeply buried memories would have the answer to that and more,' he wisely decided not to voice.

That wasn't very useful. "I just assumed that crazy also meant loud," Filia voiced. "I mean, he'll be acting all random, right? He'll probably yell, or sing, or do a stupid silly dance or something, right?"

Perceiving that Filia had no idea the kind of craze that the berries provoked, Celo elaborated. "Those berries are called dragon lust berries. They are often sold among humans as an aphrodisiac. Albeit they have no effect what so ever on humans, they do affect dragons in such a way." 

Filia's jaw dropped and her face turned crimson. "What?" She shouted loud enough for her voice to echo down the street, piercing the still quiet of the night. "You didn't warn me about that! What if that stupid raw garbage dragon is flirting with some random girl right now?" Not that she should care who he flirted with anyway, but she would feel sorry for the poor girl, she tried to convince herself. After all, she was a monster and she was evil, but no one, not even Shabranigdu himself could be evil enough to wish Xellos as a romantic possibility upon anyone. With such determination in mind, Filia decided that she had to stop any possible passionate disasters from occurring.

"I suggest you hurry," Celo smiled ever so respectfully, with his tone remaining friendly and formal without the slightest hint of mockery. Yet somehow, all those details made it all the more infuriating. Given that she had no time to waste, Filia decided to let Celo's masked impertinence pass and teleported back to the inn. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Filia reappeared at room 2-5, which she thought was Xellos' room. Her sudden materialization out of the astral side caught Lina by surprise and the gluttonous petite redhead almost choked on the last berry. "Sheesh, Filia, don't pop out of nowhere like that!" Lina scolded in annoyance. Then she reasoned that maybe Filia's little visit was not a random annoyance, but an action that had a reasonable and important explanation. "Did something happen?"

Filia looked at the empty box of berries and at the lack of Xellos in the premises. "Those berries, did you eat them all?"

"Yup," Lina smiled proudly, more so because of what she thought was the source of the gift than at the relatively small feat of eating the whole box full of berries by herself. Such a snack was nothing for Lina Inverse. "I found them in my room; they must have been a gift from Gourry."

"Your room?" Filia realized that she had been tricked and for a moment her temper flared. But she was soon overcome by the relief of knowing that she wouldn't have to deal with a flirty Xellos. "Stupid piece of raw garbage," she grumbled.

Lina gave Filia a suspicious look. "Xellos was here earlier and he said something about having a bad feeling. Is something going on that I don't know about?"

"It's nothing," Filia pouted and in her upset state she confessed most of what was going on. "Those berries were part of a prank for Xellos, but you don't need to worry, they are harmless to human consumption."

Lina frowned in disappointment. "So you were the one who left the box here?" To that, Filia nodded in confirmation. Before Lina could further dwell on her disappointment about not having received a gift from Gourry after all, she realized that Xellos had basically used her as a scapegoat and her temper flared. "Xellos!" She growled, "how dare he use me as a scapegoat?!"

Eager to contribute to the topic of Xellos bashing, Filia added her own little comment. "Causing trouble, that's the only thing raw garbage is good for."

Then another thought occurred to Lina, though she wasn't sure about it. She should probably mention it just in case, so she would know what the situation could be at its worse. "I suspect Xellos might have stolen one of the berries before he left, but I'm not sure. Are they poisonous to dragons?" Lina was sure she had seen the berries before and even heard tales to go with them, but she was so excited about supposedly receiving a gift from Gourry that she wasn't thinking about that. Then her memories finally clicked as Filia's face turn red in alarm. "Aren't these dragon lust berries? I didn't think I would ever see them outside of Amor Resort."

"You know what these are?" Filia exploded. "Why didn't you warm me? I thought they made dragons stupid crazy not flirty crazy! Xellos better not have stolen that berry and if he did, he better not have eaten it!" Without further ado, Filia disappeared.

"Warn you?" Lina argued back, though Filia was no longer there to hear her. "How was I supposed to warn you if I didn't even know what you were planning?" She huffed with her hands on her hips.

xoxox xox xoxox

At room 2-3, Xellos was absorbed in the task of examining the odd red berry heart-shaped that he had a peculiar foreboding feeling about, and yet there were also obscure pleasant memories attached to it. He smelled the berry then licked it to perceive its taste. At the same time, Filia rapidly teleported from one room to another until she arrived at room 2-3 where Xellos was. Her sudden appearance startled him into taking and consecutively swallowing a small bite of the berry, though the rest remained held between his right thumb and index finger.

"Don't eat that!" Filia slapped the berry out of his hand, sending the remaining portion flying out the window. "You haven't had any of those berries, right? That was the only one you got your hands on, right?" Her questions were suspiciously desperate and insistent.

"Yes," Xellos admitted. He wondered if the berries were poisonous and Filia was feeling guilty over her attempted murder, she was a strange enough monster to exhibit a conscious from time to time, he mused. "I only had a little piece of the one you threw away and I believe Lina ate all the others by herself. Are they lethal?"

"Not to humans," Filia breathed. Her mind wrapped around the little detail revealing the fact that Xellos had indeed consumed a small piece of the berry. "I suppose such a tiny piece wouldn't do much to you. You'll probably be alright. Just don't allow yourself to have any strange thoughts." If Filia intended to say anything else, she was unable to, as soon Xellos' mouth was on hers, preventing further words from being spoken. Her face turned scarlet and after a moment's hesitation, which Filia mentally scolded herself for having, she pushed him away. 

It dawned on Xellos what he had done, driven by a strange irresistible impulse and he struggled to find something to say. "Strange thoughts like that?" Filia could only nod in embarrassment. Dragon lust berries, that's what those things were. Xellos couldn't believe he had forgotten all about them and even now he wasn't sure how the information had surfaced in his mind. He couldn't recall the event that let to such knowledge at all. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 021: Reborn! The Young Prince Returns

After a misunderstanding caused by one of Xellos' mischievous monster comrades, the monster turned golden dragon ended up ingesting a piece of a troublesome dragon lust berry. It was the same kind of berry that caused such stress to Filia in an occasion taking place on the previous year. Thus the situation ended up with Filia arriving at Xellos' room too late to prevent the disaster and standing there before him, listening to his complaints. "You're a perverted monster and a cowardly one, wanting to back out after the trap was set," Xellos accused.

"What?" Filia's face was crimson in mortified fury. "I didn't realize what those berries did. I meant to cause you insanity not..." she paused, red-faced, then added in a quieter voice, "not lust."

"And what are you going to do about it now?" Xellos insisted, his eyes shining with a mischief that Filia thought was not befitting of a dragon.

"Nothing, it's not my problem." Filia crossed her arms and willed the redness to fade away from her face. Her skin tone returned to normal as, being a monster, she had control over it, though that control sometimes slipped.

"Well, it's too bad I don't have a pretty dragon to keep me company." Though the words were only sarcasm, they seemed to jolt Xellos memories. There was the image of a woman, but it was blurry. She had long golden hair. Was that a golden scaled tail on her? A dragon? A golden dragon...

"Raw garbage?" Filia observed the expression that had overtaken Xellos' face. He appeared to be lost in thought and she couldn't help it but to be curious about what he could possibly be thinking. "Are you still there?" She leaned closer as if trying to read something in his eyes, they were open, but his gaze was somewhat disconnected. "Hey!" She yelled into his face.

Xellos blinked, awakening from his thoughts. He couldn't remember who the female golden dragon was, but the sudden proximity of the monster general priestess caused him to kiss her as if being pushed by a purely reflexive action.

Filia took a moment to react again, before she realized who she was and what she was doing. She tried to push Xellos away, but he held her in place until she gave a little stronger shove, "don't..." This felt much more comfortable and familiar than it should and it worried her.

"If you don't want to be around me right now, then disappear." Xellos suggested, trailing kisses down her neck. "You're a powerful monster, you can just push me away or teleport yourself far away from here. But you don't want to, do you?"

Filia realized that she didn't want to leave, but she couldn't get all cozy with a golden dragon. What would Beast Master say? "What kind of dragon are you?" She reproached half-heartedly.

Xellos grinned; in all honesty he didn't even know the answer to that himself, so he replied with the first possibly truthful explanation that came into his mind. "One of the kind."

"I can't argue with that," Filia admitted. There was a small silent pause, during which the tension seemed to stand still. Filia was in the middle of a tempestuous inner debate trying to decide what she should do and dealing with the impossible task of reconciling what she wanted to do, which she wasn't even sure of herself, with what a proper monster was expected to do.

Then suddenly, Xellos' face flashed with inviting mischief and just as swiftly, his eyes were closed again and he had his usual cheerful grin, which made him look like he didn't have a care in the world, plastered on his face once more. "Since I only had a tiny piece of the berry, it looks like the effect wore off and I've managed to calm down now. Well, I should be getting some sleep; dragons need their sleep you know. You should be getting back to your room as far away as possible from mine; I'll see your ugly face in the morning." He practically shoved her out the door.

With an expression of extreme disbelief, which Xellos secretly thought was priceless, Filia was pushed out to the hallway and had the door closed on her face. 'What just happened?' It took a moment for her to realize that the dilemma was over and the insolent golden dragon had kicked her out of his room, not that she wanted to be anywhere near him anyway. She threw her head back in indignation and stomped up the hallway towards the stairs muttering something about a "raw garbage  
dragon" that she refused to admit even to herself that she was attracted to.

The recent incident was in no way the cause of that attraction, but it was an eye opener, or at least it would have been if Filia had been willing to admit anything at all. The, unknown to them, mutual, attraction had perhaps started after their battle. It was odd, but nearly killing each other made them see each other in a new light.

Behind the closed door, Xellos listened to Filia stomping and growling under her breath. She was loud enough to wake Lina, who yelled something about fair maidens needing their beauty sleep. Gourry however, slept like a rock, as Xellos could still hear him snoring in the next room. Or perhaps the swordsman's senses were so well trained that he subconsciously ignored noises that didn't represent an immediate danger, at least not to him and Lina. Without even realizing it, Xellos found himself grinning in amusement. That peculiar monster, Filia, was certainly one of the kind.

xoxox xox xoxox

When the next morning came, the group was on the road again. The trip continued relatively uneventful, until Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xellos reached Taforashia. There they met up with Pokota in the royal courtyard at the entrance to the castle. The Taforashia prince couldn't seem to make up his mind if he was excited, nervous, hopeful or disappointed. The mix of different tastes and opposing emotions was confusing for Filia. "Why are you so moody?" She bluntly asked, as if it were an accusation. Her head had been filled with too many confusing thoughts lately, mostly about Xellos, and she didn't have the patience to deal with this.

"I'm curious about that myself," Lina added. One did not have to be a monster to notice the green toy's ever changing expressions.

Pokota, who had been warned about the basics of the situation concerning Filia and Xellos, attributed Filia's bluntness to her monster side and held back any biting remarks, despite not being in a particularly pleasant mood himself. As for Lina, he just grumbled a barely audible, "none of your business," and pouted.

Gourry smiled in a friendly way and patted Pokota's hair like a child. "Hey little guy, if there's anything at all we can do to help, just let us know!" He offered good naturedly.

"I'm not a little guy," Pokota continued to pout, though his expression turned momentarily hopeful when he elaborated. "I managed to make a copy of my body," he revealed with growing excitement. "My original body, I mean," he specified before Lina could comment. With hope in his eyes he smiled at the possibilities, but his smile was not completely happy, as if there was something missing from the picture of his plans. "I managed to find a jar that can hold a soul too. It was one of Rezo's old experimental jars, I was lucky I actually tracked it down. I've been researching a lot."

Lina was quick to put two and two together as she drew a conclusion from what Pokota had said. "You intend to use the jar to transfer yourself to the copy of your body, a homunculus body, isn't it?"

"Yes," Pokota confirmed. "It may be a homunculus, but it's just the same as my original body."

Lina mused over the information. "I wonder if Zel could do something like that."

"Doubtful," Pokota pouted bitterly. "He would need some kind of completely human genetic sample to create a homunculus copy. If he uses his current genetics, the copy will be a chimera too. My old body wasn't completely destroyed after all. I managed to dig out samples from the site of the battle; even a few strands of hair can go a long way with the proper research."

This was the same person who had made a replica of the sword of light, so Lina had no reason to doubt his claims. "Well, it's too bad about Zel, I doubt there's anywhere were he can find a sample of his old human body." The redhead noticed that the mention of Zelgadis didn't sit well with Pokota. "Cut to the chase stuffed animal, what are you not telling us?"

Pokota was about to retort with something along the lines of 'flat chested little girl' in reply to Lina's stuffed animal remark, but he stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. She was sincerely concerned. "I had asked Amelia and Sylphiel to help me with the process. I can't possibly do the transfer myself, because I'm the one who's being moved, it would be too much. They had both said they would help, but now they won't come. I wrote to Amelia and she made up excuses to postpone the visit. Then Zelgadis wrote to me, I would guess without Amelia's knowledge, telling me to find someone else and not ask Amelia anymore."

"Sylphiel said she had something very important to take care of, but wouldn't tell me what it is," Pokota continued sadly. "This communication happened with the spell to call a courier monster bird. You've used that spell before, so you know the bird only needs to know who the letter or small package is for and not where they are, as they can find the receiver on their own. Though I couldn't get much information out of him, I got Jarde to admit that all the correspondence went to Sairaag."

"In other words," Lina correctly concluded, "they are all in Sairaag." This new information filled Lina's mind with questions and all sorts of theories. Perhaps something was happening in the rebuilt Sairaag that Zelgadis, Amelia and Sylphiel were all involved in. Pokota, even as a stuffed animal, could hold his own in battle quite well, so why wouldn't they tell him the truth if there was something going on? Did they want to keep him out of danger and in his homeland in case he had to defend it?

Then again, if there was something dangerous going on, if Sairaag had been attacked, why didn't they warn Pokota in case the enemy eventually moved closer to Taforashia? Besides, if Amelia and Sylphiel had already agreed to help Pokota with his body transfer, they wouldn't just go back on their words. Something big must be keeping them busy, something that for some unknown reason they didn't want to reveal.

"Lina," Pokota's voice woke Lina from her thoughts. She wasn't reaching any useful conclusions anyway, just coming up with more questions that lacked known answers. "Would you assist me? I want to go to Sairaag, but I want to go how I should have been, not like this."

Lina nodded in agreement. "You have nothing to worry about now that you have the beautiful sorceress Lina Inverse to count on. But I'm sure the transfer spell is complicated and I won't be able to perform it on an empty stomach."

"I figured as much," Pokota chuckled. He didn't understand what was keeping Amelia and Sylphiel away, but he knew he could count on Lina to help him. Then he would see for himself what was going on at Sairaag. "We'll have a banquet for you all day long, then tonight the spell will be performed. Then I'll be leaving for Sairaag in the morning." If all went well, but Pokota wasn't considering the possibility of failure, so he didn't even voice it.

"That's pretty fast," Lina commented. Pokota was clearly in a hurry to find out what was going on, but then again so was she. "Alright, I'll do it. If you've rested enough to start getting used to your new body by tomorrow morning, then you can go to Sairaag with us."

xoxox xox xoxox

That night Lina, Gourry, Xellos, Filia and Pokota entered the castle chamber that was prepared for the transfer to take place. Magically charged stones were embedded in the walls of the chamber, creating a web of light overhead by reflecting the light of the torches on the four corners of the room. The lines of light seemed to change in translucent shades of blue and green, creating quite an atmosphere. 

There were three platforms in the center of the chamber. Two of them were large enough for a human to lie on top of them, with another smaller, but taller one in the middle. The middle pillar had the precious jar placed on top of it, which wasn't looking particularly sturdy. Yet before Lina could comment on the conditions of the jar, her curiosity was summoned to the young man who lay motionless on one of the two larger platforms. "Who's he supposed to be?"

"Me!" Pokota exclaimed. Seeing Lina's questioning look, he elaborated. "My body was in suspended animation for a while. I would have been around Gourry's age if I had aged normally."

"I see," Lina voiced, then went on to ask amore pressing question. "That jar," she pointed at it with caution, "doesn't look too stable."

"I can't replicate it," Pokota confessed. "I've studied it, but I haven't been able to make it anew and I wouldn't dare to experiment with it in an attempt to repair it. It's a miracle I even found it; it's too precious to be risked."

"I suppose you're right, but..." Lina wasn't feeling comfortable with using that cracked old jar.

"It's okay," Pokota insisted. There were few people that he knew of who had the skill to do this and even fewer that he would entrust his soul to. He couldn't allow Lina to back out. "It's not like I'm going to be living in there. I'll only be there for a few seconds until the transfer is complete."

Lina knew there and then that there would be no way to change Pokota's mind. She let out a breath and nodded her head. "Alright, I'll do my best."

"Thanks!" Eager to get the process started, Pokota went to lie down on the platform opposite to the one that held his homunculus body. The green stuffed animal body that currently held him looked small in the middle of the platform, compared to the taller pink haired human body, which was around the same height as Xellos, took up the entire platform.

"Stand back," Lina seriously voiced. Gourry obediently stepped into the arch of the closed doorway, his action being mimicked by Xellos and Filia, who were too curious to see how this would go to mind Lina's order. 

Lina stood behind the pillar that held the jar. Other than being given food, she had also been given information and already knew the spell that she was to cast to activate the preset process empowered by the magical stones in the walls. The web of light that occupied the whole room glowed brighter as Lina voiced the words of the spell and placed her left hand on the jar's cover. She lifted it, extending her right hand towards the toy Pokota, beckoning his soul into her hand and into the jar. 

Then she switch to holding the jar in the palm of her right hand and faced the human version of Pokota. She lifted the lid with her left hand, still steadily chanting the words of the spell while the others watched. A ghostly ball of light emerged from the jar, just like the one that had gone in seconds prior. Pokota's soul floated towards his human body, but suddenly, the jar exploded in Lina's hand, sending her flying back, with Pokota's soul also somehow being thrown away. 

The ball of light that was Pokota passed through the wall and left their line of vision. Simultaneously, Lina was thrown harshly against the wall with blood all over her torso. "Lina!" Gourry rushed to her, closely followed by Xellos and Filia. He gently cradled her in his arms, she wasn't reacting at all. "Cast a healing spell!" He wasn't sure who held the healing magic as Xellos was acting like a dragon and Filia seemed to have monster powers now. He wasn't going to stress about it before, but right now it would be good to know there was a healer among them.

"Recovery!" Xellos attempted to heal Lina, but it didn't appear to be enough. "Recovery!" He tried again. Her eyes slightly opened, but she coughed and blood spilled from her lips. "Recovery!" Xellos tried a third time. "Just stay alive and this should eventually be enough. Recovery!"

"Stay alive? Easier said than done! Her energy feels like it's fading fast!" Why did that thought scare Filia so much? She was a monster, she wasn't supposed to care. Yet she was worried about Lina for a different reason than the mission she was given by Beast Master. 

"Don't give up, Lina! You can't die!" Gourry pleaded, wishing he could do more to help her.

"Recovery!" Xellos kept casting the spell over and over, but what little progress it made was undone in seconds as Lina's heart and lungs would only injure themselves further by the simple action of trying to function.

"This isn't enough," Filia concluded. "It's not enough," she whispered solemnly. "Isn't there another spell?"

"Resurrection, but I don't know that one." Xellos replied with evident frustration.

"Resurrection," Filia repeated. Her body felt like it was filled with adrenaline, or the illusion of adrenaline. The turmoil made the word echo in her mind, "Resurrection..." She could feel it; somehow, she knew how to cast that spell. She extended her hands, palms covered in a golden glow, "Resurrection!" She tried to keep the spell going. "Xellos, don't stop using Recovery, the extra energy will still be useful. Resurrection!"

The light was so bright that Gourry had to close his eyes. When he opened them again, Lina's injuries were gone. Her tired breaths testified that she was still alive, which filled him with a great relief. "Lina?"

Lina slowly opened her eyes and chuckled to reassure her friends. "I knew that cracked jar was a bad idea. Where's the ex-stuffed animal? I need to tell him I told you so. I'm going to be the first one to put a bump on his new head."

The group looked towards the pink haired prince, or at least the body, as for the soul, it didn't seem to be there. "He's not getting up..." Gourry stated the obvious.

To be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 022: Charming! Like A Fairytale Prince

The atmosphere stood still as, for another moment longer, Lina, Gourry, Xellos and Filia, waited for Pokota's human body to move. 

"Was his soul..." destroyed? Lina dared not finish her question.

"I don't think it was destroyed," Xellos replied, understanding the end of the inquiry that Lina had refused to voice. "It was thrown somewhere and it's probably still near by," he theorized.

"Then I have to..." Lina tried to get on her feet with difficulty. Her life was no longer in danger, but she was exhausted. "We have to..." They had to hurry; Pokota's soul was at the risk of passing on or becoming a lost spirit if it was not quickly placed in a proper vessel. Lina's legs gave out and she stumbled to be caught by Gourry. The swordsman picked her up and though she verbally protested with a loud, "put me down, I can walk by myself!" She simply didn't have the energy to kick and flail. 

"I'll take you back to your guest room, Lina," Gourry announced with no room for argument. "Filia, Xellos, please find Pokota's ghost quickly before he spooks someone or is exercised."

"I think you mean exorcised," Xellos corrected.

"Yes, that too!" Gourry ran off with the weakly protesting Lina, leaving the unlikely pair to their task.

"Hurry up dragon, bring the body, it'll be faster if we have it on hand when we find Pokota," Filia commanded.

Xellos considered teasing her about what a good little monster she was, showing concern for Pokota, but then he might get stuck with doing this on his own. Then again, how did he get stuck with this at all? "Goody-goody monster."

Filia stiffened when she heard Xellos, teeth and fists clenched, "I'm not!" She growled in exasperation. "I just think it might be useful to have someone else on the team. It'll be someone else that can serve Lord Beast Master," she quickly excused herself.

"I suppose your reasoning does have a hint of logic." Xellos picked up the pink haired young man, piggy back style and followed the impatient Filia outside. "So, does Beast Master resort to good deeds often to fuel her own selfish plans? She might ruin her reputation if she does that."

In a split second, Filia's mace was inches away from Xellos' face. "Don't you dare criticize Lord Beast Master! Teasing me is bad enough, but you must respect Lord Beast Master!"

Xellos chuckled, ignoring the deadly weapon that was so dangerously close to him. "Relax, stupid monster, I have nothing against your master. Although I admit I'm curious about her." He couldn't really explain it, but for some reason, he wanted to know more about Beast Master.

"Keep your filthy curiosity to yourself, raw garbage!" Filia snapped.

A glowing small sphere of light approached them floating tiredly. It moved around in odd patterns around them as if scolding them for something, then took refuge inside the pink haired body of the young man. The prince opened his eyes and tried to balance himself on his feet unsteadily, still holding on to Xellos for support. "I would have evaporated if I had to wait for you two to find me." Though it was supposed to be a complaint, the Taforashia prince was smiling.

xoxox xox xoxox

After a good rest, both Lina and Pokota were well enough to go back on the road the next day. "What? No luxury carriage loaded with food?" Lina protested as Pokota joined them carrying only what fitted inside his cape, much like the rest of them traveled. 

"I'm not going to Sairaag as an ambassador of Taforashia or anything, so there's no need to make a fancy fuss," Pokota explained. He seemed to be enjoying his new body, making it a point to tilt his head forward to grin at Lina, who was smaller than him now.

Lina pointed her accusing right index finger at Pokota poking his nose as she did. "Don't get cocky, stuffed animal, or I'll be the first one to give your new face a black eye!" She was feeling a tad cranky that day due to the storm of emotion that Gourry taking care of her produced. But instead of taking the opportunity to talk to him about her feelings, it made her feel uneasy and insecure, as if he was only taking care of her out of pity, which was not true at all.

While Lina and Pokota were still having their glaring contest just outside of the Taforashia castle's gates, Jarde came around with an envelope and looked at Xellos and Filia, unsure of who to give it to. The letter was for Lina, but she appeared to be busy at the moment, so he might as well take the liberty of leaving it with one of her traveling companions. The little bird finally decided to give the correspondence to Xellos, who curiously opened the letter and read it. "Dear Lina: If you know where Milgazia has disappeared to, please write back to me at Dragon's Peak. The clan is worried and they're getting restless. -Memphis"

Upon hearing her name, Lina turned her attention to the letter and Xellos relinquished it without protest, while throwing suspicious glances in Filia's direction. "What's up with people going missing from where they're supposed to be?" Lina grumbled in exasperation. 

Milgazia was his leader, Xellos mused, though that didn't feel entirely accurate. Even so, he had to do something about this, right? "I have to investigate," he finally decided.

Jarde was still flying around near by. He landed on Xellos' shoulder and chirped. "Ha! It's so fitting of a dragon!" Filia mocked when she heard the bird.

"You little liar," Xellos grumbled.

Gourry and Pokota both blinked dumbly with peculiarly similar expressions, while Lina inquired. "You can understand him?"

"Of course I can," Filia looked proud. "Jarde is one of Lord Beast Master's monster courier birds and I'm her general priestess."

"I can understand him too," Xellos stated, a bit surprised at himself.

Filia frowned, not sure if that was supposed to be possible. "Weird," she finally voiced.

"Let's get back to the main point," Lina prompted. "What did Jarde say? Does he know where Milgazia is?"

"Yes," Xellos confirmed. "Milgazia has tried to communicate with his clan, but the letters were intercepted. He is currently trying to find a way to break a curse Beast Master has inflicted upon him."

"If you ask me," Filia declared with monster pride. "All dragons are already victims of the worse curse possible, being dragons."

"There's definitely something serious going on with the monster race," Pokota silently observed. 

"We should help Milgazia," Gourry suggested. Then, as if it was a conclusion that required a vast amount of thought and analysis, he added, "we should help him by breaking his curse." Because helping someone by any other means aside from slaying whatever was attacking them and carrying them to safety was rather complicated.

Lina groaned, just when she thought she could finally track down Amelia and Zelgadis and throw her problems at them, she found herself in yet another situation in which someone else's problems were thrown at her. "That's it! I'm running out of patience! Jarde, go get Fang!" The bird chirped mockingly and though Lina didn't understand what he said, she was quick to snatch him away from Xellos' shoulder and shake him. "I know you don't have enough power to teleport us, you puny monster bird. And you also don't have enough power to survive a Ra-Tilt point blank, which you will be getting if you don't get Fang right now!"

Chirping in fright, Jarde disappeared into the astral side. The second his chirps were silenced by his departure, Filia's complaining reminders began. "Lina, didn't I tell you before that we can't just teleport from one place to another? This is a journey of chaos; if we don't actually travel we won't be able to-"

"I got all the chaos you need right here!" Lina roared, pointing at her face, which was red with anger and held the expression of a ferocious beast.

Before their argument could progress, Fang appeared in his fox form, his twin tails wagging playfully. Yet he stopped cold when he saw the redhead's expression and whimpered, moving closer to Xellos who petted him almost automatically. Filia pouted but didn't say anything. She still found it odd that Fang seemed to seek comfort from a golden dragon more so than from her. Of course she didn't remember that Fang had been a little afraid of her since the incident in which she put a pink bow on him a little over a year ago.

"Fang, teleport us to where Milgazia is and don't you dare tell me you don't know!" Lina commanded. The group gathered around her and Fang teleported them away. 

xoxox xox xoxox

When the group emerged out of the astral side after Fang's teleportation, their location was, ironically, the destination that they had intended to head to, Sairaag. Or to be specific, they were at the outskirts of Sairaag, very close to the town. Milgazia was absorbed in prayer in front of a young tree of the same kind as Flagoon, his back was to the group and he didn't look particularly cursed. Yet Lina couldn't help it but to get an odd feeling about the situation. She picked up a leaf and blew it towards Milgazia with some minor wind magic. The leaf touched an invisible electric magical shield and was reduced to dust. 

"Either he really didn't want anyone breaking his concentration, or he's expecting an attempt on his life." Xellos commented, albeit it was pretty obvious that the most likely scenario was the latter. 

A particularly charred looking gorgon monster with a veil covering her face to prevent the accidental petrification of those around her, her turquoise scales singed, approached. She was an astral being, but at the time her body couldn't help it but to visually reflect the injury upon her astral form. "That holy barrier he put around himself is something else," Galathia huffed. "I was going to rest in the astral side for a while longer, but now that you're here, maybe you can do something about it."

"First things first," Lina voiced, still at the edge of a Dragon Slave rampage. "Let's hear the explanations."

"Lord Beast Master did something to Milgazia's face. I cannot tell you exactly what it was, but she did something. You have to see it to understand it. I've been following him ever since," Galathia vaguely explained.

Lina's group looked at each other's faces in curiosity, then resolved to walk around the invisible magical dome that protected Milgazia and look at his face. They looked at him from the side, he was facing towards the tree, but they could still see his profile. Though they expected to see some hideous scar, or something that seemed appropriate for a curse, they did not find any such blemish. In fact, it was all the opposite. "He definitely looks... different..." Lina admitted with a slightly red tint to her face.

Filia couldn't help it but to nod in agreement, forgetting that a proper monster general priestess of her high rank shouldn't be saying such things. "I thought all golden dragons were hideous," except Xellos, her subconscious silently added. "But this one seems almost," she cleared her throat as if trying to sound very nonchalant, "passable."

"What did Zelas do to him?" Lina wondered. He seemed perfectly fine, and there was something about him that made him look... What was the proper term? Like a fairytale prince. "Maybe if we look at him from a different angle?"

Filia nodded and she and Lina walked around again to look at Milgazia's profile from the opposite side. "He looks the same from here," Filia observed.

"Yeah," Lina agreed. "I know!" A theory, though unlikely due to how easy it was, came into her mind. "Maybe Milgazia's prayers are part of his cure. Maybe he broke the curse just before we got here."

"Probably, I don't sense any monster energy on him." Filia paused to think about what that could imply. "What should I do now? Should I challenge him to a fight because he dared to break Lord Beast Master's curse?" Though she certainly didn't want a repeat performance of what happened the last time she tried to fight a golden dragon, she mused that it might have been a unique occasion due to the additional energy from the Knight of Ceifeed that was involved.

"Curse?" Galathia questioned. "Who said anything about a real curse? Milgazia only thinks he's got some kind of curse, though he cannot sense it. That's because it's not really there. Zelas didn't curse him, she just did something to his face, but no one really knows what it was."

"For what purpose did she do whatever she did?" An annoyed Xellos asked. He, Gourry and even Pokota were feeling ignored and frowning at how the girls kept staring at Milgazia.

"To annoy him, I suppose..." Galathia theorized. "Although," she unwisely mused aloud. "She might have been trying to give him a better chance of influencing the dragon council in hopes of making him suggest what is mutually beneficial for his clan and the monster race, in case the dragons are tricked into..." She realized that she had said too much, though it was only speculation at the time. "Never mind, I don't know. I would like to think she's rewarding me with fan service for being so evil."

Finally, Milgazia finished his prayer and got up, dissipating the shield around him. Galathia dashed towards him, but Milgazia was expecting it and a barrage of laser breath sent her on the retreat. "One of these days I'm going to fight you for real, no matter how hot you are. When I stop holding back you'll witness my true power!" As if remembering she had something to do, and she did, she gave her farewell. "I have to go now, but I'll come stalk you, I mean, keep you company later." With those final words of parting, Galathia faded into the astral side and returned to Wolf Pack Island. She was to report it to Beast Master as soon as Lina's group reached Sairaag, where chaos reigned supreme around Amelia and Zelgadis, who were dealing with a very stressful situation.

Gourry, in a rare moment for him, did something that was actually pretty smart, albeit totally simple. "Fang, could you tell me what happened with Zelas and Milgazia?"

Since this was the ever amusing Gourry asking about it, the swordsman who never plotted and only ever noticed the obvious, Fang was not on guard about his reply. The monster fox chimera morphed into his semi-human form, with only one smaller fox tail and fox ears, the rest of his features looking very much human, though he did have an unusual eye color, silver, and rather long fangs. "Zelas ripped his hair out. She joked that it was to see if hair was the secret of the Rolly-Rolly champs, like that strong human from the legend... What was his name, the strong human?"

"Hercules?" Pokota suggested, not really knowing where the odd fox monster creature was going with all this.

"No, not that one, the other one, the one that was defeated," Fang continued trying to remember.

"Achilles?" Lina suggested.

"Not that one," Fang repeated. "I mean the one with the hair."

"Samson?" Xellos guessed.

"Yes, that one!" Fang recalled. "Zelas wanted to see if Milgazia still kept his strength after having his hair pulled off."

Curious, Lina shyly reached over to the confused Milgazia's head and pulled his hair. "Ow! Miss Lina!" The water clan dragon elder scolded. "Please don't do that."

"It's real," Lina concluded. "Wasn't it supposed to be a wig?"

Fang shook his head. "No, no, she didn't pull off all his hair, only a little of it."

"I get it... It's his eyebrows," Filia concluded. "They're thinner so they don't look like a blond version of Philionel's anymore."

"You're right!" Lina exclaimed as if it was a great discovery. "I thought there was something different about his face. I guess Galathia is even more attracted to him than before, she always had a thing for Milgazia since last year," Lina recalled.

"Is that it?" Milgazia seemed to be coming to the realization himself also. "Well it was painful, but I suppose the effect will go away on its own. With Galathia chasing me more adamantly than ever, I thought Zelas had cursed me with a spell that attracted monsters or something."

"Your clan is worried about you, Milgazia." Xellos insisted, wanting to get rid of him.

"That's right," Pokota affirmed. "You should go home and reassure them." He was the one who just got a new body; it wasn't fair that he had his spotlight stolen away from him so soon.

"I was sure I sent correspondence..." Milgazia mused aloud. He was quick to logically conclude that it must have been intercepted. Well, he would resolve that by returning home, he could really use some time to himself right now. Though he knew he would have to cut his rest short, as there would surely be more council meetings to attend soon, he could almost feel it. "Have I met you before?" He curiously addressed Pokota.

"Yeah, we met at the wed-" Pokota hastily stopped himself before he said wedding, as the subject of Xellos and Filia's marriage was currently set to be left in secrecy. "At that weird resort last year, I'm Pokota."

"Ah yes, I remember," quite the chaotic party that was. "It's good to see you have recovered your human form. Well, I must return to my duties now. I wish you all luck on your journey." Milgazia glanced to Lina, whom he correctly assumed must be dealing with a lot of stress as the leader of this chaotic band of travelers. After the goodbyes were exchanged, Milgazia walked around the tree, and with a bright golden light, he took off in dragon form, flying in the direction of the Kataart Mountains.

"I'm going home now too," Fang announced and he promptly disappeared into the astral side again.

"That's one mystery out of the way, now on to the next." Lina announced in her leader voice, as she looked at the rebuilt town.

Pokota nodded in agreement, he was eager to know what had happened with Amelia and Sylphiel. "Sylphiel and Amelia are there..." and so would be the answers he needed to hear.

Thus without further ado, Lina, Gourry, Xellos, Filia and Pokota walked into town. The streets had a normal level of activity with a few people talking about the golden dragon that they just saw fly by next to their town. There wasn't anything in the calm yet active streets that hinted that the town was in any way in peril. It was all very puzzling, plus Milgazia didn't seem to be aware of there being any danger in Sairaag, he was just confused over his own supposed curse and visiting the new holy tree.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 023: Evasive! The Chimera Dilemma

Lina, Gourry, Xellos, Filia and Pokota made their way through the streets of Sairaag, looking every which way in hopes of seeing familiar faces. "Do you think they left town?" Pokota frowned.

Lina pouted, finding Amelia and Zelgadis was turning out to be quite the wild goose chase. "Let's look around town for a while and if we can't find them, I'll call Fang to sniff them out and teleport us straight to them." Filia opened her mouth to complain, but Lina's impatient look was so determined and deadly that she silently closed it again.

It was surprisingly Gourry who first spotted the familiar man whose face was covered hiding his identity. Yet in a place where people's faces were in plain view, the attire made him stand out just as much as his chimera condition would. "Hey Zel!" When Gourry called out to him, lifting his arm in a friendly waving gesture, the man in light colored clothing stiffened. 

For a split second, Zelgadis looked like he was debating if he should look back or pretend he didn't hear. The latter choice won over and he quickened his pace, tightening his grip around the large shopping bag he carried in his arms. Several medicinal; herbs of various types and an assortment of fruits and bread peeked out from the top of the large bag. This was exactly what Zelgadis didn't want, for his closest friends to be involved in this dilemma.

"What's his problem?" Lina grumbled. She was sure that Zelgadis had heard Gourry calling him. Though his pause only lasted a split second, the perceptive redhead saw it. Zelgadis was definitely hiding something.

"Come back here!" Upset, Pokota rushed after Zelgadis who had made his way through the crowds in the street.

Seeing that Pokota had already taken off into a run, Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xellos followed him. Up ahead, Zelgadis dove into an alleyway. Pokota turned the corner, but found nothing but an empty dead-end at the space between the two shops. Of course, the Taforashia prince was not so easy to lose when he decided to give pursuit. "Levitation!" Pokota made it to the roof of one of the shops and sure enough, Zelgadis was speeding away, jumping from the roof of one building to the next. "Stop right there!" Pokota rushed after him.

The rest of the group followed Pokota. Lina paused, ready to cast a spell to help Gourry levitate to the roof, but he seemed to do well enough on his own, using the two close walls of the shop structures to jump from one to the other and propel himself upward to where Xellos and Filia had already reached. "Let's go Lina, or we'll lose them," he extended his hand to her.

Lina reluctantly jumped, catching his outstretched hand and allowed Gourry to pull her up to the roof. He held her by the waist as soon as he had pulled her up high enough to reach and set her down on her feet. Lina wasn't sure what to say or do, until a loud noise caught her attention from further down the street. She hurried to the location where Zelgadis had jumped down and used a wind shamanistic spell aimed at the bare streets full of loose dirt that was lifted creating a sort of smoke screen.

Pokota was quick to dissipate the smoke screen with his own wind magic, but he didn't know in which direction Zelgadis had ran off to and the citizens of Sairaag had enough of the odd band of travelers that disturbed the peace of their town. With the people that occupied the streets giving Pokota and his companions nasty warning looks, Lina decided that it was best to end the chase there. The leader placed her hand on the prince shoulder and shook her head. "Let him go for now." 

"But he's acting suspicious!" Pokota argued, but Lina was firm. Her look told him that she wasn't going to allow him to argue and if he did, he would have not only Zelgadis to deal with, but her as well.

"If Zelgadis is so adamant in hiding from us then he must have a good reason," Lina concluded. "We'll just have to find out what that reason is without his assistance." Naturally, she wasn't going to give up and mind her own business. Something was obviously bothering Zelgadis, likely Amelia and possibly even Sylphiel were in on it. Perhaps they would be more willing to converse. "Let's find Sylphiel, she might know something about this."

xoxox xox xoxox

Lina, Gourry, Xellos, Filia and Pokota continued their trek through Sairaag until they finally reached Sylphiel's house. Though she still worked at Beast Master's secret resort every now and then, she was currently taking a break. The group heard the sounds of pots and pans coming from the house, indicating that someone was indeed inside. Lina lifted her hand to knock on the door, then froze halfway. She had spoken to Sylphiel before, back when she got engaged to Gourry. The other girl had taken it surprisingly well and come to turns with Gourry's choice. However, he was no longer Lina's fiance now and the redhead was worried that by leading him to Sylphiel she was practically handing him out on a silver platter, setting him up to be stolen away.

Gourry looked at Lina's hesitancy with confusion, as did Filia, while Xellos was surprisingly the most perceptive of the group towards Lina's inner battle and concern. Pokota looked impatient and resolved to knock on the door himself, calling out, "miss Sylphiel!" As he did.

What was done was done and Lina knew there was no turning back now. She glared at Pokota, but the prince was so focused on his own dilemma that he didn't even notice. 

The atmosphere stood still as a female voice that they recognized as belonging to Sylphiel, replied from within the house with a simple yet well practiced, "coming!" Footsteps approached and the door was opened. Sylphiel smiled with a surprised looked that didn't seem all that real, as if she knew that Lina and the others were in town. "Hi everyone, come in." She stepped aside a little too eagerly as if wanting to entertain the guests for as long as she could.

Deciding that it was best to act natural, Lina sniffed the air, perceiving the assortment of appetizing and not so appetizing scents originating from the kitchen. "What are you cooking?" The gluttonous redhead curiously inquired.

"A few dishes, actually. Some boiled meat, fruit salad and I'm also making some medicine," Sylphiel explained with a slight fidget. That explained the non-appetizing smell that invaded the atmosphere mixing with the good scents. Good medicine often tasted bitter and sometimes even smelled foul. 

"That sounds good!" Gourry cheered with a bright smile.

"I'll be happy to have all of you over for a meal, just let me put some extra food into the pot," Sylphiel offered. Her eyes finally traveled to the pink haired prince who had been waiting to be acknowledged, something that her previous distraction had until then not allowed Sylphiel to do. She had already heard about Xellos and Filia, so seeing him with blond hair and a golden dragon tail and her with purple hair, wasn't too much of a surprise, though she still had to take a second look at them. "Hello..." She curiously stared at the unknown yet somewhat familiar young man. "Have we met?"

Pokota nodded, not sure what to make out of the situation. "Pokota," he simply revealed his name. "I'm Pokota; the transfer to this body was a success thanks to Lina." That wasn't entirely accurate, there were some problems along the way and the process was almost messed up, but it all worked out in the end.

"Oh my..." Guilt invaded Sylphiel's delicate features as she went from looking at Pokota curiously to looking at the floor with sudden interest. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered almost inaudibly, but full of sincerity. "I'm very sorry I wasn't there, Pokota, I really am."

After hearing those words, her tone of voice and seeing her face, Pokota couldn't be upset at Sylphiel anymore. "I'm... I'm not angry at you," he finally voiced while the rest of the group watched on quietly with curious interest. It was clear that the friendship between the prince and the maiden had grown over the past year. "I know you must have had a good reason not to come, I trust that you do. Why? Why was it that you couldn't come?"

Sylphiel bit her lip in guilt and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but it's not my place to say. I do have a reason why I must remain here. It is a very important reason, but I can't reveal it, it's just not my place. I'm really sorry to have to say this." She looked up from the floor, her eyes meeting Pokota's, tears threatening to invade her emerald gaze. "Please don't think that I don't trust you. I would tell you if I could, but it's not my place and I have an important promise to keep. I can't... I can't lie and make up an excuse, so please accept my silence."

The quietude that hung in the air was heavy and tense after Sylphiel expressed her unexpected request. "Sylphiel..." Pokota whispered. "If there's anything wrong, if you're in some kind of trouble, please let me help you!"

Sylphiel shook her head vigorously, "it's not that. No one is threatening me or anything. There's just something very important that I must do. When this task was completed, I was planning to go to Taforashia," she revealed. 

Pokota and the others understood then that Sylphiel was not going to give them any more information. "I understand..." Pokota finally accepted, though he really didn't understand and he was still very thirsty for answers, they all were.

Sylphiel nodded as if thanking them for being understanding and headed to the kitchen. "The medicine is almost done, let me put it away and add a few things to the main course. Sit down, this won't take too long." The group sat around the table, which was built to accommodate four people, but a pair of extra chairs had been already placed around it to allow all six of them to sit at the crowded table. 

Sylphiel continued working in the kitchen next to the dining area, the two areas not really separated from each other. She put away the finished herbal medicine and retrieved a few ingredients from a large bag that looked suspiciously very much like the one Zelgadis had been carrying earlier, though part of its contents had already been removed. It was as if Sylphiel was making it look as if she was caught by surprise and was figuring out how to feed her guests, though some of the food had already been set to start cooking in portions too large to be eaten by a normal person alone; that is someone with an average appetite unlike Lina and Gourry.

Though they made polite conversation and talked about the misadventure of getting Pokota's soul into his new homunculus body, there was still a good amount of leftover tension still hanging in the air the entire time. After the meal was served and eaten, Xellos casually brought up the subject of Zelgadis, which Pokota seemed too lost in thought to address, while Lina and Gourry were distracted by the food. The monster turned dragon received nothing but silence in reply. Then after a moment, Sylphiel smiled as if the question never happened and changed the subject to dessert.

xoxox xox xoxox

That night, the town of Sairaag was just as quiet and peaceful as it had been during most of the past year. Lina and Filia had settled into an improvised sleep over at Sylphiel's room, where Sylphiel's mind appeared to be elsewhere and Lina seemed to be immersed in her own inner thoughts. Filia decided that she wasn't going to learn anything about the current situation by hanging around there. Thus the golden dragon turned monster general priestess, stood up and announced. "I'm going to report back to Lord Beast Master. I think I'll spend the night at Wolf Pack Island, see you tomorrow." With those words of parting, she was gone.

Only a simple, "see you..." escaped Sylphiel, who appeared to be worried about something. 

Lina was too caught up with her thoughts to even notice when Filia left, though the petite redhead did eventually realize she was gone. At least she could talk to Sylphiel in private now. "Um... About Gourry..." Lina shyly began.

Sylphiel welcomed the conversation, though she wondered about Lina's uneasy tone. "How are things going? We'll we be hearing wedding bells any time soon?"

Lina let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. At least Sylphiel wasn't thinking about jumping on the rebound, not that she appeared to know about it yet anyway. Lina relaxed and pushed away her paranoia to remind herself that Sylphiel wasn't like that. "We broke up," she confessed.

A gasp escaped Sylphiel and her face was filled with confusion. "Why? If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't know," Lina admitted. "He broke up with me and I didn't let him explain it. I got angry and made him leave. We're sort of friends again now and I was thinking about letting Amelia and Zelgadis handle the situation with Filia and Xellos while I attempted to win Gourry over again." Given Sylphiel's lack of questioning about Xellos and Filia's appearance, Lina could only correctly assume that she already knew about those two via Beast Master's ever so convenient information network. 

The redhead realized then that by confessing her troubles she had also brought up the subject of Amelia and Zelgadis. Sylphiel was looking at her hands folded on her lap as she sat across from Lina. Her expression was both tense and sorrowful, but still secretive. "Amelia is here too, isn't she? And Zelgadis warned you we were coming earlier," Lina theorized. Sylphiel's posture stiffened, but she remained completely silent. "I just don't understand why we can't know," Lina breathed.

"It's not my place, but I think you should know. Amelia might want it that way. I will speak to her and tell her you're here." Sylphiel offered, confirming beyond a doubt that Amelia was in fact there and that the princess, the chimera and the shrine maiden were all aware of whatever trouble was in the air. "Zelgadis is... He's a good man, but he sometimes tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He doesn't know how to let go of guilt and I know he means well, but..." Sylphiel stopped, she was saying too much and didn't want to get further carried away and break her promise of secrecy.

Lina decided not to further inquire about it; Sylphiel's word that she would talk to Amelia was enough. The host changed the subject and instead tried to help her guest with her problem. "Don't give up on Gourry. I can't say why he would break up with you, but I know he wouldn't do anything to deliberately hurt you. There must be some kind of explanation, I'm sure you'll be able to work things out."

Lina nodded with renewed expectations, "I hope so..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, rather than going to Wolf Pack Island, Filia had teleported downstairs. She intended to search for clues around Sylphiel's house, but her attention was caught by quiet sounds coming from the kitchen. Filia sneaked over unseen and watched as a cloaked figure rummaged through the pantry. The person took several containers from there and swiftly left out the backdoor. It was evident that this was no ordinary thief, especially since the so called thief appeared to have a key for the backdoor. 

Filia silently followed him, hiding in the astral side. Further observation by the light of the moon and stars outside, revealed that the mystery man was in fact Zelgadis. He kept looking over his shoulder instinctively and on several occasions looked right at where Filia should have been, but since she was in the astral side, he only saw empty space, albeit he sensed something.

Zelgadis took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He didn't see anyone following him; surely Sylphiel had the group distracted as he had asked. She swore she would help them in any way she could after all, and Sylphiel wasn't one to purposely break her promises. Telling himself that he was only being paranoid, Zelgadis hurried down the street to the outskirts of town where the old Flagoon had once been.

The chimera went through the partially dried roots that were covered in a few new branches here and there as the tree continued its slow but steady revival. He headed deeper into the cavern of the tree with Filia still following him quietly. Finally, Zelgadis arrived at a chamber that, peculiarly, had a few pieces of furniture in it. Amelia lay on a bed, sleeping curled into a ball on her side, though her sleep was not restful judging by her expression.

The Seyruun princess' eyes shot open as she twisted painfully, hands around her swollen abdomen. Zelgadis rushed to her side to comfort her and cast a healing spell that did little to assist her. The sudden pain appeared to end and now that she was awake, Zelgadis thought that it was as good a time as any to offer her some medicine.

He poured a small glass of a thick green concoction and held it out to Amelia whose shaking hands would otherwise spill it on the white sheets of the small bed she occupied. She drank the dose without protest, albeit her facial expression made it clear that it was very bitter. As she sat up for a moment, looking tired and restless, while Zelgadis looked worried and apologetic, Filia noticed a particular detail about Amelia.

The monster's eyes went wide and her concentration was lost as she unwillingly left her astral side hiding place and materialized herself in the physical world. Amelia was pregnant. But that didn't make any sense. Wouldn't have Naga and Philionel known? Had they really not seen Amelia for that long? Unless... of course, it was a possibility, the state of her condition must be accelerated because the child was a chimera. A chimera child... those were unpredictable at best.

"Filia?" Amelia's tired voice reached out to her. Zelgadis looked in her direction, noticing the monster for the first time. It turned out, he realized, that his bad feeling wasn't paranoia after all. He didn't want to get anyone else involved in this, only Sylphiel knew because her skills as a healer were necessary.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 024: Gloom! A Dark Day

After quietly following Zelgadis to the location of the old Flagoon, Filia made an astonishing discovery, Amelia was with child and her state of health was fragile at best. Flagoon had slowly started to revive, the temple that Fibrizo once put in its place being all but disintegrated by the branches and roots that took on a new life. It was all because of the effects of the energy from the Sea of Chaos that had been used to fight off the Stillness a little over a year ago.

"Amelia..." Filia curiously approached, feeling a concern she didn't even know a monster could feel. It was happening again; emotions that she shouldn't have were surfacing and going wild. This was different from what happened when she was around Xellos; it was another type of connection akin to what she felt for Lina, friendship. 

Amelia smiled beckoning Filia to come closer while Zelgadis remained paralyzed and silent. "It's good to see you again."

Filia nodded curiously and with her attention captivated by the situation before her, decided to leave her inner debates for later. "It's... good to see you too..." She wasn't sure what to say, as her mind was filled with unanswered questions that continued to pile up by the second. To ask what happened felt rather silly, as it was plainly obvious. So instead she inquired, "how are you?" Which felt like a fairly stupid question as well, given how pale and sickly Amelia looked.

"I'm fine," the smile was strained for energy but not for sincerity. Not one to be discouraged easily, the Seyruun princess was ready to face any challenge that life might throw at her. "How are you doing? Did you come by Sairaag on your own, or are the others here too?"

"They're here," Filia glanced at Zelgadis for a split second to see his reaction. He remained still with a solemn expression.

"How wonderful," Amelia's face continued to brighten despite her condition. She had lost the perception of time since the area was dark anyway and had to be lit with spells. She didn't realize that it was the middle of the night. "It'll be good to see them again."

Zelgadis' mouth opened to speak, but for several seconds no sounds came out until he finally voiced a quiet, "Amelia..." He tried to gather his words and progress with what he was trying to say, though he wasn't sure of it himself. "You know they can be a little noisy," he warned as gently as possible. 

"Don't worry," Amelia assured, dismissing the overprotective concern. "Everything will be just fine. Besides, they had to find out eventually. A baby is not something that can be kept a secret for so long."

Zelgadis nodded, lowering his head and remaining silent. Every time he saw how hard this was on Amelia, his guilt increased, though she had never blamed him for her difficulties. Ever since she realized what was going on, she took the situation in stride and was ready to face the consequences of their actions. They were engaged anyway, she knew she wanted to spend her life with him, so it didn't seem like something all that bad, even if the timing could have been better. As her condition rapidly became obvious, Amelia realized that if a royal wedding took place then, there would be a scandal. 

Thus Amelia did what she thought would look best in the eyes of diplomacy as long as the truth was never known, for the sake of her kingdom. She resolved to have the child first, get married and then make the announcement of the child's existence. If anyone inquired about the speed of the process, she would explain that the baby was born quickly due to being a chimera, which was actually true anyway. Albeit she intended to tell her father and sister the truth, Amelia decided that she would speak to them upon her return to Seyruun after the birth. 

The original plan was to return to Seyruun quietly and give birth there, but after some complications along the way with which Sylphiel helped when they met on the road, they decided to head to the closer town of Sairaag to get some rest. Sylphiel volunteered to help nurse Amelia, but the Seyruun princess never became well enough to get back on the road. As her pregnancy progressed, she spent more time sleeping and Sylphiel suggested that it was best not to move her. The atmosphere of the reviving Flagoon was calming and filled with positive energy, thus it helped Amelia relax, the reason for which she was kept there.

Giving up on trying to shelter Amelia from the chaos that followed Lina wherever she went, Zelgadis finally agreed. "I'm sure the others will come by in the morning."

"Morning?" Amelia tilted her head in question.

"It's the middle of the night," Filia revealed, which made Amelia looked more curious. "I couldn't sleep so I came by now," she excused herself.

"Oh my... I didn't even realize." Amelia looked at Zelgadis with concerned eyes. He was trying so hard to be strong for her that it was at times easy to miss the exhaustion in his face. "Please get some rest, Zel. My fellow insomniac and I will find ways to occupy ourselves." 

Amelia made it sound simple, but for Zelgadis, restlessness was all he knew lately. "I'm not tired," he insisted, suppressing an ill-timed yawn.

"Please rest, do it for me," Amelia insisted, her big blue eyes pleading.

Filia wasn't sure what came over her when she volunteered. "Sleep, I'll stay up with Amelia. Monsters don't need sleep anyway and I'm not in the mood to put myself in a sleep-like state tonight."

Filia as a monster was unusual, but Zelgadis resolved to think that this was the same Filia he knew deep down. Furthermore, if he stayed there to try to keep his earlier performance a secret it wouldn't work anyway, if Filia wanted to reveal his run away act, she would, no matter if he was listening or not. "Alright," he finally nodded, accepting Filia's suggestion. Then he gave Amelia a serious look, "you must wake me up if you're not feeling well. Even if you think you can handle it, promise you'll call me."

"Don't worry," Amelia continued to smile. 

xoxox xox xoxox

When dawn came to the town of Sairaag, the day was rather gloomy. The sun was covered by thick rain clouds, making it look as if dawn had never happened. A persistent fog clung to the atmosphere, making the day feel even gloomier. Early in the morning, even if the rays of the sun were not there to greet her as they usually did, Sylphiel was up. She and Lina slept in sleeping bags, as it was customary of a sleepover, though the kind hostess did offer Lina her bed. "Good morning, Lina!" Sylphiel greeted cheerfully, even if neither the day nor the situation was cheery.

Lina groaned in response, not in the mood to be woken up so early in the morning. It seemed that not even the sun itself wanted to face the new day. The redhead turned over in the sleeping bag and buried her face in the pillow. Her voice came out muffled against it, "I don't want to get up." The rain wasn't pouring yet, but the clouds persisted in covering the sunlight. They neither released their waters, nor went away with it, they only loomed as if wanting to prolong the dread of the coming downpour.

Ever patient, Sylphiel did not insist. Lina shifted some more as Sylphiel stopped at the door. "The sleepover is officially over now; you can use the bed if you want."

With a few more sleepy incoherencies being mumbled with a drowsy expression, Lina got up from the sleeping bag. She lay down on the bed and on the second that her head touched the pillow, she immediately fell asleep again.

xoxox xox xoxox

A short while later, downstairs, Sylphiel busied herself in the kitchen. She was preparing breakfast for her house guests and the other two no longer secret guests that were in her care, albeit not in her house. She left some bread, blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, which would take a while to be ready, though not as long as with a regular oven, as Sylphiel's was magically enhanced.

She packed some sandwiches that she made a few hours ago while Lina was sleeping, thus salvaging them from the redhead's voracious appetite. After adding some medicines to the basket she was carrying, the kind young woman headed for the door. She paused before going out, glancing out the front window next to the door. She picked up the umbrella from the umbrella bucket next to the cape rack and went out the door.

Sylphiel let out a breath as she looked at the gray skies. She didn't like the atmosphere; it amplified the feeling of foreboding that already hung heavy in the air. Walking briskly, Sylphiel made her way out of town. The bustling marketplace from the day before was completely different that morning, as if the day invited even the usually eager merchants to stay in bed. With the street clear, almost deserted in the early morning, Sylphiel hurried out of the main street and towards the area where Flagoon was reviving.

xoxox xox xoxox

Mist and humidity hung in the air as Sylphiel entered past the roots and ruins into the inner chambers of Flagoon, covered in vines and the seedling-like branches of the reviving tree. She set her umbrella aside and called forth some illumination. "Light..." Sylphiel voiced softly in case Amelia and Zelgadis were sleeping, she knew that they hardly got any rest lately. In Amelia's case it was because of her insistent pains and for Zelgadis it was his need to watch Amelia twenty-four seven, driven by both love and guilt.

"Ah!" The sudden scream that pierce the gloomy silence made Sylphiel jump and shattered her concentration. As a result, she accidentally dispelled the light as if driven by an instinctual reaction to seek cover as if she was going to be attacked. Yet a split second later she knew that she wouldn't be needing to put the offensive magic she learned over the past year to use in defending her home from bandits and the like, not this time.

"Light!" Sylphiel recasted the spell hastily and dropped her basket carelessly in her rush. Amelia's pained voice became clearer as she got closer. It was white magic that Sylphiel would need now. She was surprised to find Filia next to Amelia's bed on the side opposite to Zelgadis. They had combined their efforts to try to ease Amelia's pain with healing magic. With no time to ask about the specifics, Sylphiel joined the healing with a Resurrection spell.

xoxox xox xoxox

Back at Sylphiel's house, when Xellos woke up, Gourry was still sleeping and Pokota was awake, but he had not gotten up yet. The blonde swordsman's snores were muffled under a mountain of pillows. The scene made Xellos remember the previous night when Gourry was the first to fall asleep. Since the three men shared Sylphiel's guest room, they didn't even have the comfort of a thin inn wall to serve as a barrier between them and Gourry's snores. Thus, following a silent agreement that came to out of shared desperate looks, Xellos and Pokota set out to gather every spare pillow and cushion they could find in Sylphiel's residence to pile them on top of Gourry.

The Taforashia prince seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts that morning, but soon after Xellos got up, Pokota did too. Then Xellos, perceptive as he was, realized that Pokota must have woken up more than just a little while ago, the evidence of his uneasy slumber clear in his tired face. Yet the pink haired prince didn't want to be the first one to make it downstairs, least he find himself alone with Sylphiel as she, ever the sweet girl she was, prepared food for her guests. He wanted to talk to her in private, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she would say. More so, if she refused to say anything at all, he was sure that he wouldn't be able to contain a sea of questions that would probably make her silence harder on her and more hurtful to him.

Silently and without as much as a verbal greeting, Xellos and Pokota made their way downstairs. Appetizing scents were coming from the vacant kitchen, hinting that Sylphiel must have already been there, though she didn't seem to be in the house at the moment. They reasoned that she would be back soon enough if she had gone off for some early morning grocery shopping or something. As for Lina, if she had not gone with Sylphiel, it was only a matter of time before the scents of freshly baked bread, blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls called her out of dream land and into the kitchen downstairs.

With not much else to do, Xellos and Pokota sat at the table quietly and waited. It didn't look like Filia was back yet, Xellos silently noted. The atmosphere and weather were very gloomy and quiet, thus he wasn't even in the mood to try to come up with a sarcastic remark to tell Pokota as a means of entertainment until Filia returned or either Sylphiel or Lina, or both, made their appearance. 

The boring silence didn't have to stretch for too long, as the scent of food did give Lina the motivation she needed to drag herself out of bed and head towards the kitchen. "Something smells good!" The petite redhead exclaimed, surprised that only Xellos and Pokota occupied the dinning table. The scents made her think that Sylphiel would be there taking care of the kitchen and that just as she got up, Gourry would be awake by now too. Where are Sylphiel and Gourry?" A jolt of panic overtook Lina as she thought that wherever they disappeared to they could be together. But that couldn't be, right? Sylphiel only saw him as a friend now, right? She had demonstrated it herself after all.

Xellos caught the hint of jealousy in Lina's voice and thought about teasing her. However, Pokota, who was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice Lina's suspicious tone, answered first. "Gourry is still in the guest room sleeping. I'm not sure where Sylphiel is..."

Lina became visibly relieved. "Sylphiel probably went out to the market or something. She wouldn't have left the kitchen going like this if she didn't intend to come back soon," she logically concluded. "I'm surprised that the scent hasn't woken Gourry."

"Must be all the pillows and cushions we piled on him to block out his snoring," Xellos commented. His curiosity was mildly sparked as he inquired. "I wonder why he's not that loud when we camp out?"

"Sleeping outside and sleeping indoors are different for Gourry. He always snores a whole lot louder at inns. It also depends on his mood." This was something that Lina knew well as a result of her years traveling with Gourry. Then she realized that she had more insight into his feelings than she knew. Something was on his mind; he always snored louder when something was bothering him. For him to be this loud, he must be pushing his brain to think about something a lot.

The scent of something burning in the oven interrupted Lina's train of thought. She, Pokota and Xellos sniffed the air with slight alarm. Then the golden dragon asked with a cheery grin that was very much like him. "Is it supposed to smell like that?"

"No!" Lina exclaimed as she jumped over the counter that separated the kitchen and dinning area and scrambled towards the oven. She opened it, but the tray of over-baked food inside was too hot. "Ah!" She had to pull back her hands in pain, muttering some less than nice words under her breath that Luna might scold her for and hastily casting a healing spell on her hands. 

Mere seconds transpired until Gourry came rushing down the stairs, with the sword of light in hand. "Are we under attack?"

"No, I just burned myself a little. It's no big deal, I already healed myself," Lina explained. Then she took note of Gourry's attire, or lack there of. "Why in the world are you only wearing a towel?"

"When I woke up I was by myself in the room." Gourry explained as he put away the sword of light seeing as there was no immediate threat after all. "I got up and went to take a morning bath, then I heard you yell and came running."

"Oh..." Lina blushed, thinking that it was sweet of him to come to her rescue. Filled with hope, she asked, "you were worried about me because you care?"

"Of course," Gourry replied with a friendly smile. Yet there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, or perhaps longing, that was too well hidden for anyone to notice. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Lina frowned, "right..." Gourry only tilted his head in curiosity upon seeing her expression fall. Not in the mood to deal with Gourry's apparent lack of perception, Lina sent him away. "Well, there's no danger here, so you can go finish getting dressed." Gourry wasn't sure why Lina's mood had suddenly shifted for the worse, but he didn't question it and returned up the stairs. Maybe he would be able to think better with his pants on.

All the while the exchange between Lina and Gourry was taking place, Pokota had found some thick kitchen gloves that allowed him to pick up the trays and set them out on the counter without hurting his hands. Xellos let out a little giggle. "Those gloves match your hair." He teased, referring to the pink kitchen gloves.

Pokota frowned and set the gloves aside, "I don't see how that's funny." He looked at the ruined bread, blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls. "I don't see how any of this is funny."

"I bet Lina and Gourry will still eat this," Xellos teased.

Lina made no direct reply to him, while Pokota expressed his concern. "I wonder why Sylphiel isn't back yet?" There were too many things about the current situation that he didn't know, but he did know that the monsters were up to something and that was enough to make him worry. "I'm going out to look for her."

Lina picked up a slightly burned cinnamon roll and took a bite. "These aren't that bad, with some butter or jam on top they'll be alright."

Gourry returned fully dressed and looked at the food trays hungrily. "Are we going to have breakfast now?" He looked around the group and made an observation. "Aren't we missing some people?" It was enough that he remembered that much, to ask him to name them would be too much.

"They're not here," Lina declared. She wasn't in a good mood and she wanted to console herself with food, even if it meant having to deal with sharing breakfast with Gourry. She would show him, she would eat as much of the food as she could. "I'm hungry so I'm starting on breakfast now."

Gourry shrugged, "if it's okay then me too."

To be Continued


	9. Chapter 9

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 025: Tragedy! The Guilt Of A Loss

While the gluttonous duo, Lina and Gourry, focused on eating the accidentally over baked bread, blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls, Pokota slipped out of Sylphiel's house to search for her. Xellos didn't have much else to do, so he went out to take a look around Sairaag.

Xellos walked through the gloomy foggy atmosphere. A few merchants had ventured out and were halfheartedly setting up their products on displays in booths in the marketplace. A few shop owners had opened their businesses' doors and sat behind deserted counters leaning on their elbows with the same lazy expressions. It was amazing how a change in the weather could give or take away stamina. It wasn't so much a matter of the temperature, but the mood of the day. It was a purely emotional reaction that affected the core functionalities of those beings called humans in more powerful ways than it should be physically possible.

Xellos made it to the outskirts of town and curiously approached the reviving Flagoon. He heard the echo of a female voice and became more intrigued about what was going on in the cavern. He saw an umbrella near the cavity's entrance that had been set aside and a few more paces deeper in, a basket carelessly thrown on the ground as if the one previously carrying it was in a hurry.

"Medicine! Medicine!" Filia teleported suddenly, making Xellos take an instinctual step back away from the basket. The monster spotted the basket and hurried to pick it up. While healing magic closed wounds and provided energy for the body to fight off diseases, it couldn't heal what the body was unable to heal on its own. It wasn't a cure for an illness, it was healing, it sped up the process and gave the body some help. Yet if the body could not produce what was needed naturally, with healing magic it still wouldn't. 

"Filia?" Xellos' perplexed voice made Filia lift her eyes from the basket she was rummaging through to look at him. "What's going on?"

"I don't have time for you now raw garbage," Filia snapped. She found what she was looking for in the basket and shoved the basket and the rest of its contents into Xellos' arms, just because he was there. "Amelia is giving birth a little way that way." She pointed her finger towards the deeper corridors of the cavern. "So don't go in there!" She warned threateningly. "The only man allowed in there right now is Zelgadis, no one else, got it?"

Xellos nodded slowly, caught off guard by the sudden revelation, "got it..." He knew that Zelgadis was hiding something, but he didn't expect it to be the approaching arrival of a child.

"You better." With one last glare of distrust directed at Xellos, Filia teleported once again and was gone from his line of sight, presumably back to the cave chamber where the birth was taking place.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Pokota had asked around town, but no one had seen Sylphiel that morning. A few people mentioned that she was tending to a patient near the old Flagoon and might have gone there. Using that as a clue, Pokota headed there. He arrived at Flagoon a short while after Xellos, having taken his time to ask and search around town. He entered and saw the umbrella which Xellos had seen not long ago. A short way deeper in, Pokota saw Xellos sitting on the ground with a basket next to him. A woman's pained screams echoed, but all that Xellos did was calmly eat a sandwich he had retrieved from the basket.

"Xellos!" Pokota accused, wondering if he should just ignore the golden dragon, who used to be a monster, and simply rush in to see what the yelling was about. "How could you just be sitting there eating with all that screaming? What's going on?" Another shout followed and Pokota started running towards the next chamber.

"Stop!" Xellos called out.

The Taforashia prince reluctantly halted his rush and glared back at the golden dragon with urgency. "What's going on?" He once again demanded to know.

"There's a birth taking place in the next chamber and I have been warned that no men, save for the child's father, will be allowed in there until it is finished." Xellos smiled cheerful and carefree as he explained.

Pokota's tense stance relaxed slightly, though his expression was still a mix of doubt and puzzlement. "Really?" Xellos nodded and Pokota mused about what the townspeople had mentioned. They didn't say much about Sylphiel's patient, but who was to say the patient couldn't be a pregnant woman? "Oh..." Well if that was the truth then he couldn't just rush in there. Also, it would explain why Sylphiel didn't go back to the house, perhaps the birth began unexpectedly and her assistance as a healer was needed.

Feeling calmer after learning at least part of what was going on; Pokota sat down near the basket and peered into it. "These were made by Sylphiel," he concluded, picking up a sandwich and examining it. Xellos raise an eyebrow as if to inquire how he was so familiar with her cooking, but Pokota decided to ignore the gesture and eat. He paused as another scream echoed and gulped. "Poor lady... I hope everything works out..."

The word "justice" was shouted in a very loud voice, echoing through the area around the old Flagoon and beyond. 

Pokota almost choked on his sandwich, "if I didn't know any better, I would think its Amelia giving birth in there..."

Xellos grinned from ear to ear, "that's because it is Amelia giving birth in there."

Pokota's jaw dropped, "no... no... no way!" He stuttered, unable to believe it. He jumped to his feet and walked a few steps, then walked back to the spot where he sat before and moved in such a way for a few seconds. "You're lying..." Xellos only smiled and Pokota knew that he was in fact telling the truth. The pink haired prince walked back and forth some more. He was surprised to learn about Amelia, but more so he was frustrated that no one told him about it, that she didn't mention it in her letters. Wasn't he trusted as a friend? Frowning, he continued to pace around and fidget with uneasiness.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, back at Sylphiel's house, Lina and Gourry had an all out battle to decide who would eat the last cinnamon roll. With Lina as the victor, breakfast was officially over. Once that was done, a heavy uncomfortable silence settled in between the sorceress and the swordsman, until Lina decided to go on the retreat. She headed for the door as casually as she could with a light excuse. "I'm going to see what's taking everyone so long to come back."

"I'll go with you," Gourry offered and began to follow Lina out before she could protest. Lina considered her options for a moment and finally nodded. The prideful sorceress wasn't going to let Gourry think she was avoiding him. Never mind that he probably wouldn't notice even if she tried to make it obvious.

The redhead and the blond exited the house and looked around town. The streets had a few pedestrians here and there by then, but they certainly weren't as crowded as the day before. People carried lighter shopping bags and many had umbrellas at the ready for whenever the dark skies decided to release their waters. 

After inquiring about Sylphiel, as out of all of them she would be the one the townspeople would be most familiar with, Lina decided to head to the old location of Flagoon. Though no one revealed the name of the mysterious patient Sylphiel was caring for, Lina put two and two together and concluded that it was Amelia. But what could the problem be?

Just as Gourry and Lina reached the old Flagoon, there was a crash of lightning in the distance with echoing thunder and the downpour that was threatening to fall came down all at once. Lina and Gourry ran for cover at the Flagoon cavern. Once out of range of the downpour, Lina squeezed the water out of her cape. "When it rains, it pours!"

Gourry was about to say something, possibly something dumb commenting about the rain, but just as he opened his mouth a female voice yelled. He closed his mouth again, the odd timing making it look as if the sound had come from him. 

Lina would have chuckled if not for the fact that she was on edge thinking that an attack was just waiting to happen and that the one yelling could be Sylphiel or Amelia at the verge of death. She rushed deeper into the cave chamber only to stop upon seeing Xellos sitting in an odd pose, using his dragon tail coiled into a sort of stool. Not too far from him, Pokota was walking back and forth continuously. Lina placed her hands on her hips and demanded to know. "What in the world is going on here?"

"It's customary," Xellos calmly replied with his usual cheery grin.

"Customer?" Gourry blinked in confusion. "Did you decide to open a shop here, Xellos?" He looked around. "I don't see any merchandise and what was that scream just now? We were running to see, but Lina stopped so I stopped too."

"Customary," Xellos corrected. "That is to say that it is a tradition."

"Oh..." When the next pained yell came, Gourry didn't seem alarmed, albeit Lina and Pokota both flinched. "That's a weird tradition, yelling like that."

Xellos let out a breath, trying to be patient. "That's not the tradition," he pointed at Pokota, "that is."

"What?" Pokota and Lina unanimously chorused.

"When a woman is giving birth, there's always that family member that's walking back and forth, slowly making a hole on the floor with all that walking, just outside the door to her room, or a short distance away from her cave chamber in this case. But you know, things change, so this time around the father is in there, assisting with the birth, I would assume. Yet it wouldn't be the same without all the walking, so Pokota is filling in with this silly traditional gesture. Isn't that kind of him?" Xellos chirped cheerfully.

"This is no joking matter!" Pokota snapped.

"What's wrong, are you tired of walking?" Xellos got up from his tail stool and stretched the golden scaled appendage. "I guess I could go for stretching my legs right about now. Do you want me to walk for a little while? Then Gourry can walk for some time too until it's all over."

Gourry wasn't sure what this was about, he only caught something about strange traditions that involved yelling and walking. Whatever it was, it might be fun. "Count me in, I want to be a part of Sairaag's traditions too!"

"Wait a minute!" Lina stepped in with alarmed impatience. "You mean to say that all that yelling is because Amelia is giving birth?"

"Yes, but I didn't say it was Amelia." As Xellos pointed that out, Lina slapped both her hands over her mouth. Albeit to her relief, Xellos soon added, "even if I did already know, I didn't realize you had knowledge of the news as well."

Pokota looked betrayed, as if Lina had also hidden the fact from him. She caught his look and shook her head. "I just got a clue last night and Sylphiel was supposed to be arranging a visit for us today. I didn't realize there was a baby coming until now and it sounds like it came unexpectedly."

"I'm confused," Gourry confessed, although it was certainly not a big secret.

"Amelia is further into the cavern having a baby right now." Lina simplified the explanation as much as she could.

"Really? What about the traditions?" Gourry inquired in puzzlement.

"Never mind that!" Lina snapped.

Gourry decided to forget about the complex customs that Sairaag had apparently developed and put his mind into understanding the most important piece of information. Amelia was having a child. "Amelia sounds like she's in pain," he stated the obvious. "Shouldn't someone go help her?"

"Sylphiel is already with her, and Zelgadis too," Lina correctly concluded.

"And Filia too," Xellos added, causing Lina to give him an unsure look. "Why don't you join them," he encouraged, just to see Lina's reaction. "It's just men who are banned from going in there, with the exception of Zelgadis."

Lina gulped, what did she know about children? Nothing, absolutely nothing. "Okay..." she decided to be brave and marched into the cave chamber deeper in, which held the source of the pained voice.

xoxox xox xoxox

When Lina arrived, the birth was almost over. It had actually taken several hours starting before Sylphiel's arrival. Zelgadis had been in a panic, casting healing spells on Amelia and a confused Filia filled with emotions that a monster shouldn't have, could do little else than to follow his example and cast her own healing magic. How and why she knew such spells despite being a monster was still a mystery to her. 

Driven by friendship, concern and sibling-like love, Lina hurried to Amelia's side. Sylphiel was directing the process and casting healing while playing the part of the midwife. Filia and Zelgadis were helping with the healing. "Lina?" Amelia was surprisingly the first one to notice the new arrival.

As soon as Sylphiel noticed Lina, she was quick to have her assist. It was something that she was going to ask Filia to help her with, but the monster looked pale enough as it was. Given the fact that she was an astral being, the state of shock must be deep for it to show subconsciously in her projected form. "Lina, come over here, the baby's almost out."

"You... you want me to help?" Lina frantically pointed at herself as if being accused of something fierce.

"Yes!" Sylphiel insisted. With wide eyes, Lina could only nod her head and rush to Sylphiel side. "Okay, aim your healing spells at the child, Filia and Zelgadis will take care of healing Amelia." A few more excruciating minutes later, the baby was finally completely out, but the way Sylphiel and Lina kept pouring all their healing magic into it was unnerving.

Amelia breathed deeply and finally allowed her sore body to relax. "I'm... I'm okay..." she gasped in exhaustion. Zelgadis, who was just about ready to collapse, ceased his constant healing spells and fell to his knees next to Amelia's bed. Her hand was grasping his and if it had not been part stone, she might have broken it with her strong grip. Then again, if he had not been a chimera, her pain and the risk to her health wouldn't have been so terrible. "The baby..." The Seyruun princess gasped with tears in her eyes.

Filia looked at Sylphiel and Lina, who kept persistently casting healing spells on the child that Sylphiel had wrapped in a white blanket. "Resurrection!" Sylphiel called out with clenched teeth and emerald eyes that were blurred by the rivers of tears streaming down her face. The spell never felt so ironically cruel. It couldn't resurrect, it could only heal one who was still alive, but this little one wasn't. "Resurrection!" Sylphiel called out again in frustration and sadness. 

Lina realized it was futile and stopped pouring out her healing magic. With a solemn tear-filled face, she bravely took the small bundle from Sylphiel's arms, allowing the tired young nurse to lean on her shoulder for support. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered in a tone that was much more sorrowful, gentle and afraid that anything they had ever heard Lina say before. "So sorry..." she clenched her teeth in bitterness. This wasn't fair, Amelia and Zelgadis didn't deserve this, the little boy didn't deserve this. A golden light began to surround Lina and her body trembled with power. 'Why do you allow this to happen? What can it help? What can come out of this? No one wants to feel this; it'll just make them not want to feel at all,' she screamed in her mind.

"Lina, calm yourself!" The sudden voice startled all those present, including Lina, who seemed to snap back into reality. There stood none other than Beast Master Zelas Metallium. Her pristine ivory dress was revealing, but not enough to lose its elegance as it accentuated her tan figure. Her eyes were silvery, as was her hair in this occasion. She approached Lina and looked into the human's pained eyes. "You were summoning her, without words, your feelings, your magic; your very being was calling her. It is not wise to summon the Lord of Nightmares just so that you may demand answers. It is what it is and no one can change it, not you and not even me."

Lina nodded and lowered her head, a vast deep sorrow invaded the room, a sorrow that strongly eradiated from all those present and even those who were waiting in the next chamber and not hearing a child's cries after Amelia's silence. "Would you have?" Zelgadis muttered under his breath, his voice cracked with sorrow, he didn't seem to notice that he was crying or that he was barely producing any sound as he spoke. He didn't want the mocking, cruel, monster lord there, especially not at that time.

"That is a secret," Zelas replied, though her smile was more so bittersweet than mocking. Zelgadis said nothing in reply and Zelas continued in a neutral tone. "Martina's little boy, whom she name Zoamelgustar, was filled with chaotic energy that she herself unknowingly summon to him. With a vast investment of healing magic and even chaotic energy, she was kept alive and lived through the birth to later achieve a full recovery with a magic prodigy as her child. Yet this time it was not a matter of energy, but of flesh. Such an inconvenience."

Sylphiel lifted her head from Lina's shoulder with a frown. "I'm sorry; I tried my best to create medicine that would simulate the nutrients that the non-human parts of the child would need, but... I failed." 

"It's not your fault," Amelia choked out. "Lina, please, even if he didn't make it, I want to see him."

Even if it made Amelia's heart break even more, Lina could not deny her that request. She approached with the motionless bundle in her arms and carefully gave the child's body to Amelia, as if it were a fragile living newborn.

Amelia cradled the baby in her arms. The hue of his skin was in some areas similar to Amelia's and in others similar to Zelgadis, fading smoothly from one color to another. The shadows of a few stones were visible beneath the flesh as if they would come out later. His eyes were closed and his ears were pointy. His little hair was the same color as Zelgadis, but with a very soft texture, like Amelia's hair.

"This is all my fault, because I'm a chimera." Zelgadis quietly blamed himself with infinite sorrow and bitterness. "I shouldn't have... I shouldn't... Amelia, I'm so sorry, you deserve so much better than this, so much better than me."

"Hush, Zel, don't say that." Amelia held the dead child in one arm and pulled Zelgadis closer to her with the other. "I was only unprepared, that's all. I still love you and I always will!" Yet nothing seemed to be enough to console Zelgadis. 

As far as he knew, he had stolen the life of Amelia's firstborn, the life of his own child. He couldn't do this to her, he couldn't do this to her family, to her kingdom, he couldn't do this. 'A chimera doesn't belong with a princess, with a human.' Zelgadis thought bitterly that he should have never forgotten that truth. 'A chimera, a mixture of creatures that don't belong together, doesn't belong with anyone.' 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 026: Sadness! Facing Sorrow 

Zelas walked to the next cave chamber. Xellos found himself staring at her curiously the second he saw her. Her energy... she was a monster, no, not a mere monster, she was a monster lord. "Lord Beast Master, Zelas Metallium." He voiced, as all the others were too surprised by her presence to say anything or even move. 

"The child?" Pokota inquired with a tone of worry.

"Is an answer even required?" Zelas stated rhetorically. Pokota looked sorrowful then paused and stared into the monster lord's eyes boldly. She narrowed her gaze ever so slightly, sending shivers all over the young prince's body. He didn't want to, but he had to look away as a deep terror overtook him. Her eyes... there was something ever so cunning and malicious about the way she looked at everyone. Yet in this occasion, for this particular catastrophe, she was guiltless. His theory that the lost life was because of her was quickly banished and Pokota wondered if it was in truth because of the chimera genetics. He knew that it was very likely.

Gourry seemed to be the only one who didn't know what the sudden silence meant. Normally, the mother's voice would only cease when the child's cries started, but Amelia had quieted leaving nothing but silence in the atmosphere. "Is it over?" He looked at Zelas with puzzlement. He wasn't sure when she got there, but she came from the next cave chamber, so she must know what was happening in there.

"Yes, Gourry, it's over," Zelas replied in a nonchalant matter of fact tone.

Gourry innocently smiled, "the baby is born?" He looked at Xellos, who seemed to be fascinated by Zelas' visit, and at Pokota who looked terribly sad. "Why isn't everyone excited? Don't people usually get all excited about this sort of thing?"

"Ignorance is bliss... Yet it cannot last forever," Zelas chuckled before disappearing. Her presence was gone; Xellos was no longer able to sense her. She seemed ever so familiar and he didn't understand why.

A dejected Lina approached the waiting men. She stood in a corner leaning against the wall and sniffling. "Lina?" Gourry inquired in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Don't talk to me now." Lina's request was spoken in a whisper, but it was so fierce that it silenced Gourry immediately. 

The confused swordsman looked at Sylphiel and Filia, who soon walked into the area they were at, leaving Zelgadis and Amelia to have a moment alone. "What's wrong?" Gourry asked again.

No one was in the mood to explain it, but Sylphiel knew that he wouldn't understand until it was spoken directly. "The child was..." still born, he wouldn't understand that concept and she didn't want to speak of the event more than needed. "The child passed away."

Gourry frowned, "oh..." Suddenly the sadness around him made sense and he too was sad over the tragedy.

Filia's eyes were fixated on the ground. When she finally looked up, she caught Xellos staring at her. Her eyes were teary and she knew it. The reaction happened and it would take a lot of concentration to make her projected form look nonchalant. Yet she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to look like a monster should, she wanted to express the things she felt and didn't understand; she wanted to let it all out. Beast Master had not scolded her; in fact, the monster lord had not acknowledged her at all. Filia didn't want to think about what that meant now, she had too much on her mind as it was. It was too much to add Xellos to it too, thus she teleported away.

Xellos quietly exited the area of Flagoon and focused. He could sense Filia's presence not too far away. He followed the feeling of her energy to the area outside, behind the growing Flagoon and the leftover ruins. The rain had stopped, though the rain clouds were still up in the sky covering the sun with lighter shades of gray than before. The heavens' tears were not yet empty and it might rain again at any moment. Xellos walked towards were Filia sat alone on the ground in the shadow of the Flagoon and ruins structure behind her. 

He was a dragon, but he couldn't sense her emotions like the time when he was temporarily a human last year, the time he couldn't currently remember. He had no sense of empathy. His monster ability to taste emotions didn't translate to anything this time, because it wasn't a case of Xellos becoming a golden dragon, but rather Xellos switching with Filia. She could taste emotions, as any monster could and he could not, as any normal golden dragon could not. None the less it didn't take a genius to know she was devastated.

"Go... away... raw... garbage..." Filia gasped between sobs.

"Out of breath, are you? A monster should have better control," Xellos observed. "If you simply will your tears to stop, they should."

"I don't have to listen to you, raw garbage! I can cry if I want to!" Filia snapped. "I can show how I feel, I have the right to!" She yelled.

"Show how you feel?" Xellos stepped closer to her, which prompted her to stand and take a challenging stance as if trying to be threatening. "Monsters feel?" Somehow, he thought they did, but they didn't normally admit it.

Filia wasn't sure how to answer to that. She clenched her teeth and tried to push herself to insult him, but he had a point. She wasn't supposed to be like this. She was not only a monster, but Lord Beast Master's general priestess. Was Zelas angry with her? Was that why she didn't even speak to her? Without realizing it, Filia had lowered her head to stare at the ground beneath her feet.

She suddenly felt a hand on her chin, gently lifting her face to look up. "So they do," Xellos concluded, wiping a tear from her eye with his thumb. Then he made a request that took even him by surprise. "Filia... When things calm down, when this journey is over... Will you take me to see Beast Master?"

"What?" Filia stared at Xellos as if he grew a second head. "Are you serious? You want me to take you to Beast Master?"

His eyes opened for just a moment and Filia found herself staring into the deep amethyst with curiosity and fascination. "Yes," there was no doubt in his voice as he closed his eyes again.

"That's crazy!" Filia exclaimed, taking a step back, causing Xellos to release her face. "You're a golden dragon, what do you want with Beast Master? She'll kill you if I take you to Wolf Pack Island! Are you suicidal?"

"She won't kill me." The certainty in Xellos' voice confused Filia further. How could he be so sure of that? He grinned, "at least, she won't kill me as long as I don't anger her."

"She would kill any random dragon that went into her territory." Filia logically argued.

"Yes," Xellos agreed without question. "But I'm not a random dragon. She won't kill me as long as I don't defy her. If I'm respectful, Zelas won't harm me."

"Why are you so certain?" Filia huffed, anger starting to rise at his apparent arrogance.

"I don't know," Xellos admitted. "Or I suppose I could say that is a secret, a secret even to me. It's hard to explain, but somehow I sense it. I can't say why, but I have a feeling that I can trust her."

"A monster lord?!" Filia sounded both offended and horrified. "You're a golden dragon! How can you trust a monster lord?"

"I really don't know," Xellos reiterated. "Look, it's no loss to you, right? You can just take me to Beast Master after things quiet down and if she decides to kill me that's not your problem. You can excuse yourself and say you brought me as an ingredient for her dragon cuisine or something."

'I suppose," Filia sighed, giving up on the seemingly nonsensical argument. "You're a strange dragon," she observed again.

"And you're a strange monster," he added.

Filia didn't argue with his claim, instead frowning and looking at her hands. She was remembering when healing energy flowed out of those very same astral hands, monster hands. "I am," she admitted.

Xellos raised an eyebrow curiously and even momentarily opened one eye. "And you're okay with that?"

Filia's frown deepened, "no."

"Why not?" Xellos curiously inquired.

"Who wants to be a freak?" Her frankness made him chuckled. "Shut up raw garbage, don't make fun of me, you're an even bigger freak!" Filia huffed and crossed her arms. "What kind of a monster can heal, what monster mourns a dead child? I should be jumping for joy because an innocent baby is dead."

"Or more so because you're getting nutrients out of the sorrow," Xellos mused. "It's odd, but I always thought that's what it's about. It's about getting a good meal, rather than the tragedy itself; about the benefit to you, more so than the loss to others, that part would be insignificant. Physical creatures die after all, it happens. They are set free from their cages of flesh and returned to the Sea of Chaos to be reborn." He wasn't sure how he knew that, how he learned it.

"I suppose..." Filia conceded. "For a dragon you act like you know a lot about monsters. But I don't even have that; the meal doesn't cheer me up."

"For a monster, you act like you know a lot about dragons," Xellos retorted. "I can understand I guess. This band of travelers is pretty amusing and too much gloom can ruin that. The meal doesn't make up for the lack of fun, the lack of delicious chaos. It'll be too quiet if the gloom isn't lifted, too quiet for Lina's wrath to flare about every little detail, to quiet for Gourry to say dumb things that annoy her. Too quiet for Zelgadis' occasional gloomy chimera mood swings to even be noticeable. Too quiet for Amelia to bring out the fear in bandits with her justice obsession paired with Lina's hunt for their treasure. It'll just be too quiet, not chaotic enough. And ultimately, not beneficial. It's okay to miss a good meal; the sin of gluttony is a virtue when it is in a monster. Besides, even monsters like to have fun, don't they? Even monsters can get a little attached to their," 'friends,' he didn't voice, instead finishing with, "toys."

"Really?" Filia spoke unsure. Then she calmed down, not because what Xellos said made much sense to her, but because it sounded as if he was trying to cheer her up. She shouldn't accept such a gesture from a dragon, but she really needed it at the time. 

Realizing that he had unknowingly consoled her, Xellos decided to try to fix his apparent mistake. "Or maybe you're just a failure as a monster!" He laughed at her.

Filia's temper flared. "You filthy piece of raw garbage!" She called forth her mace that materialized in her hand. "I'll make you pay for mocking me!"

"Oh, oh! She's mad, I better run!" Xellos spoke to no one in particular as he stuck out his tongue at Filia. In the past, she would have killed him, but not anymore, he amused her too much beneath her anger and he knew it. Curiosity was a monster's greatest weakness and he incited her curiosity.

xoxox xox xoxox

A few days passed with a silent gloom hanging in the air. It was rainy, dark and gloomy to the point where the residents of Sairaag wondered if the sun would even shine again. There was much crying during that time, a lot of morning for what could not be changed. The small tomb was constructed there, in the outskirts of town near the old Flagoon. One would think that it would be built in Seyruun, but no, Flagoon, the tree that revived to once again cleanse the air of any impurities, was a comforting symbol. Seyruun was too, it was Amelia's beloved home after all, but the cemetery where her uncle and cousin's bodies eternally rested brought too many bitter memories, tainted memories, for her. So the child was buried at Sairaag. She would tell her father and sister of this, but not now, not when the mere mention of the boy's name would make her cry before she could even explain who he was. She would tell them when she could console them. It was ironic, they would console her, but she wanted to be able to do the same thing back.

Amelia's hand brushed against the tombstone. The color in her face returned to its usual health, she was no longer white as a sheet as she had been during her pregnancy. With a combination of herbal medicine and healing spells she was alright, physically at least. With her nutrients no longer being drained away by a being that her body couldn't support, she had recovered her stamina. Her appetite rivaled Lina's during the first few days when she was able to eat again without being plague by nausea. Afterwards, she slowed into her usual pace and fell into a routine. 

One morning, after sleeping in, as a result of having spent the whole night awake battling with his conscience, Zelgadis was surprised to find Amelia sparring with Lina. It was at the princess' insistence as she wanted to test how far her strength and spell casting abilities had recovered. She was well enough to go back on the road. She was even well enough to bring justice upon bandits if she felt like it. After the mock battle ended and Amelia saw Zelgadis watching them from the sidelines, she simply stated, "I'm ready to go now." She tried to smile, but it was obvious it wasn't sincere. 

She tried so hard, too hard, more than he deserved, Zelgadis thought. She expected what was to come next, yet she didn't want it, she so badly wanted her guess to be wrong. "Amelia... Could you come for a walk with me for a while?" It was the first day when the sun shone after a long series of dark rainy days.

Amelia nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Of course..." They walked away, leaving Lina to shudder as a foreboding cold chill ran down her spine. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Before they knew it, Amelia and Zelgadis were back in the outskirts of Sairaag. She picked wildflowers on the way and had a bunch in her hands by the time she reached the child's resting place, his name engraved on the stone. She set the flowers in front of the tombstone and went on her knees to pray. Wordlessly, Zelgadis mimicked her posture beside her. Amelia imagined that he was apologizing for something that wasn't his fault. She had told him that, but he still felt guilty. That was how he was, always wanting to be better because he didn't think he was good enough. She thought she had cured him, but this tragedy threw him back there again.

When the prayers had ended, they stood and looked at each other as if seeing each other for the first time. "Amelia... I... you..."

"I'll go with you," Amelia offered before he even had the chance to explain himself.

"What?" Did she know what he was going to say? Yes, she saw it in her eyes; that determined sapphire sparkle. "Please no..."

"I will," Amelia insisted, "I want to."

He sighed, he knew this would be hard, but now it felt so impossible. She had guessed it; he wanted to search for his cure again. "Please, let me do this. You should go home and rest." Before she could argue that she had already recovered her strength he added, "don't wait for me. You should..." this was so hard to say, he felt like he was dying. "You should find someone better."

Amelia pouted and shook her head. "Zelgadis Graywords, the one I want is you and I can be pretty stubborn when I want to be."

Zelgadis smiled a little, just a little, because love was that strong in spite of everything. "There is something I need to do..." Before she could protest again with her insistence to go with him, he added, "I'll be back. I can't say if it'll be a week, or two or three... A month at most and if it is more, I will write and explain the details. There's just something I need to check out, alone."

"Why can't I go with you?" Amelia argued. "Is it something I would disapprove of?"

"Possibly," Zelgadis admitted, "but I will not allow it to cause you sorrow. Please, trust me. I simply don't want you to be pushed to become... part of the bargain."

Amelia furrowed her brow and frowned. "What monster do you intent to negotiate with?"

This was his Amelia; she had become so good at reading him like a book. Zelgadis wasn't sure if it made him feel loved, or uneasy, or both. "Zelas."

Amelia sighed, "I thought as much. Very well, miss Zelas isn't so bad, she wants chaos rather than death and we are used to chaos anyway. But even if she's not completely bad, she's certainly not good either." Her face adopted a thoughtful expression as she mused aloud. "Life was simple when things, situations and people were either good or bad, but that's not how it is in reality."

Taking a deep breath, Amelia continued. "Miss Zelas will help only if it is of a benefit to her, just as when she helped Seyruun and now we must call ourselves her allies. If the other monsters were to ever betray her, she'll have an allied city that specializes in white magic, an ideal weapon to defend against her own kind should the need arise. She uses Seyruun to establish herself as the superior monster lord who commands both the darkness and a portion of the light. I can only pray that she never grows bored with this world, that her amusement stays relatively tame, somewhat balanced."

Zelgadis nodded, "I will keep all of that in mind." Sometimes Amelia surprised him with her insight.

She made herself smile, "right, even if the world is not all black and white, we'll make the shades of grey shine as bright as they can. I still hope that one day miss Zelas will answer to the call of justice deep in her heart!" There she was again, the same optimistic Amelia that everyone was used to.

"Right..." Zelgadis nodded, smiling a little as he did only for her. He didn't want to go off with a sad face; that would only make her more uneasy.

"One more thing Zel..." Amelia's tone turned serious again. "You are in no conditions to properly judge right now and honestly, neither am I," she spoke sternly and seriously, so much unlike herself. "Don't give into desperation, don't make a sacrifice that can only bring sorrow in the long run, don't be tricked."

"I promise," Zelgadis assured, though deep down he wasn't sure if, even if he tried his best, it was even possible to keep such a promise.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 027: Depression! The Choice Of A Desperate Fool

"He's gone?!" The disbelieving echoes invaded Sylphiel's house as Amelia replied to the hostess' innocently concerned question about Zelgadis' whereabouts. 

"Yes," Amelia confirmed, "he said he would be back soon, so I'll wait for him here a little longer if that's alright."

"Of course," Sylphiel insisted. "You're all welcome to stay for as long as you want."

"Thank you," Amelia gratefully replied. The last thing she wanted right now was to wait for Zelgadis alone. But she knew her friends wouldn't leave her, and he knew that as well when he left her in their care at Sairaag, even if he didn't directly say it.

Lina half expected Filia to point out that they should be moving on with their journey, but she didn't breathe a word. The redhead had heard the townspeople talking about the purple haired lady's outbursts and the way she would chase the blond dragon around town, but no notable injuries came out of it other than a bump on Xellos' head. The citizens of Sairaag didn't seem to realize that Filia was a monster, but the fact that Xellos was a dragon was obvious to them, since his golden scaly tail was always out. 

Xellos and Filia had once again established a connection with each other and she could see Filia awakening into her true self. Lina could see it and she wondered if any of the others could see it too. She no longer worried so much about what a proper monster should do and acted according to her own judgment rather than the expectations that hung over her head, or that she thought were there. At least the journey would be easier in terms of those two from that point on. Lina didn't think they would seriously try to kill each other again and if left to their own devices, maybe they would rediscover what they had and be overall, a little easier to deal with as a pair.

Yet that wasn't the only issue hanging in the air. When something improved, something else went horribly wrong. Amelia didn't speak of Zelgadis' destination, she only stated that she would trust him and hope for the best. That was what worried Lina the most, the look of resignation in Amelia's eyes, as if the Seyruun princess knew that stopping whatever actions Zelgadis was intent on taking was impossible and her only available course of action was to support him through them. What did Zelgadis intend to do? Amelia wouldn't say, but Lina had a feeling that she would find out eventually, and if her recent luck continued, she would find out in a not so convenient manner.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at Wolf Pack Island, Zelgadis found himself at Zelas' throne room, the same place where she had spoken to Filia before and to Xellos even earlier. Fang had teleported him there after Zelgadis summoned Jarde with the courier bird spell and had him fetch the fox monster, who had sufficient energy to teleport him to his master's home base. The imposing yet elegant monster lord, Beast Master Zelas Metallium, sat regally upon her throne, with a mocking smirk upon her face reminiscent of Xellos. Her expression made Zelgadis feel uneasy, as if he was making a mistake, yet he already knew that, so his concern didn't increase too much beyond what it already was.

"Zelgadis Graywords," Zelas' strong voice pierced the silence that previously clung to her throne room. After Fang delivered Zelgadis there, he left the chimera alone with the monster lord, left them to their conversation, their negotiations, her manipulation. "Your visit here is closely linked to the recent happenings concerning your son," she stated, rather than asked, as the matter was obvious.

"Yes," Zelgadis admitted, trying to keep his voice steady, firm and devoid of a hint of anything aside from the outmost serious neutrality. He knew that it was a useless facade. She was a monster lord; she could clearly taste the turmoil that was unfolding in his heart. Yet if he didn't show it outwardly, he could make-believe that he was in control.

"There are several options," Zelas stated. Unknown to her, she was addressing a request that Zelgadis had no intentions of making. "Let me share a story with you. During the time when Lina summoned the Lord of Nightmares, as you know, many things were set lose and the consequences of that were dealt with during the past year. However, there were other smaller occurrences that seemed insignificant at the time. One of those such occurrences was a rupture in the dimensional fabric that divides the worlds. Our world and the over-world became connected. However, only those whose astral bodies were not too large, humans for example, and a peculiar type of monster found in the over-world similar to mutated animals wielding elemental magic, were able to pass through. The portal closed very soon, leaving a group stranded, but they managed to make new lives for themselves here. Recently though, another portal opened and the band of humans from the over world jumped through."

"The Roketto mafia," Zelgadis realized. It had to be them, it was the only explanation for their mysterious disappearance and the overall eccentric collection of unusual devices the gang had possessed. They had machines, Zelgadis had heard, very strange machines that surpassed even dragon technology, the most peculiar of them being those monster capture capsules. They were gone now, so Zelgadis had to wonder where Zelas was going with all this. "What about that?"

"That was not the only occurrence of such a portal," Zelas revealed. "Though I admit I am unaware of how many such occasions took place, I will tell you of another. It connected to a different part of the over-world, far from the place where the Roketto mafia came from and returned to. There was nothing there but a petrified body. Not dead really, albeit after petrification one has little to do but waste away and eventually die when the stone crumbles, as the cure is so rare. None the less, it is curable, and in such cases the petrification is in a sense like a frozen coma. Monster energy, the creation of a chimera; that is what reanimated that stony body and turned her into one of my minions. A strange, flirty creature she is, but alive none the less, I speak of the gorgon who used to collect statues of petrified men in another life, albeit now what she seems to want from them is-"

"How is any of this relevant?" Zelgadis snapped.

Zelas smiled in amusement, "it is relevant, albeit I don't care to explain it. I was only doing so to make you snap."

Zelgadis gritted his teeth, Zelas could be very infuriating when she wanted to be, and unfortunately for those around her, more often than not, she wanted to be. "Can we get to the point?" His sense of logic was returned as the anger held a small spot within the sorrow and he knew he was a fool to be there.

"If the child is petrified via a spell and then mixed with monster energy, it might become re-animated. Albeit because the flesh was technically not truly alive at the time, it will be more so a monster than a true monster and human chimera," Zelas offered.

"No," Zelgadis firmly stated. 

He tried to organize his thoughts to explain his business, but Zelas continued before he could. "The other option is far more straight forward, get a necromancer involved and turn the boy into a zombie. I believed you've witnessed an example of that in Saramina. With the proper potions and spells, the boy will even grow to adulthood eventually, though he'll still be prone to literally fall apart every now and then, as zombies, regardless of how well kept, are never too sturdy. It would be quite ironic given how rock hard his father is," she chuckled mockingly.

Frowning, Zelgadis tried to keep his temper in check, reminding himself that the woman before him could very easily kill him without effort if she so wished it. "I am not here to ask for anything on behalf of my son," he firmly clarified.

"Oh?" Zelas raised an elegant silver eyebrow in curiosity. "Giving up on the boy, are you?"

"Let my child rest in piece, I won't, I can't," the pain was evident on his face as Zelgadis spoke those words. "I could never turn him into an experiment. Even if it was a well intentioned experiment, it would be an experiment none the less; I can't do that to him. I came here on behalf of myself. One child cannot replace another, but Amelia is..." He couldn't help it but to smile bitterly, yet with a deep love. The emotion was so strong that it made Zelas frown in disgust. "Amelia is very stubborn. I can't make her stop waiting for me. I know she wants a child of her own, I want to be able to give her that without endangering her health or the child's chances at living a normal life."

Zelas laughed, "a normal life? You and your little friends are anything but normal. No child of yours or of any of them will know what an ordinary existence is."

"Fine," Zelgadis had to recognize that she had a point there. "A good life then. Even if it is only temporary, I want to be human again."

"Just enough to last out the honey moon, eh?" Zelas' statement made Zelgadis blush in embarrassment. "Such methods do exist, but they are only visual illusions. Your genetics would remain the same and thus your human appearance would have no effect on any descendants you might produce, or I should say, reproduce."

Zelgadis' face turned fully scarlet, the color was so strong it wasn't even the usual purplish blush of his blue skin. He felt like all his blood was currently residing in his face. "Then it's useless," he muttered uneasy.

"That look on your face, the emotions within you..." Zelas grinned, in a very Xellos-like fashion, or perhaps, as she existed first, it would be more accurate to say that Xellos' trademark expression is in a sense Zelas-like. "You have fully realized, beyond the sorrow that numbs your intellectual capabilities, that you are a fool. What did you hope to hear? Do you want me to call upon Rezo's spirit from the Sea of Chaos?"

"No," Zelgadis refused. "Rezo is resting in peace, let him. I understand that my condition was something Shabranigdu drove him to do, I have already forgiven him and I will not revisit those dark thoughts again. I do not wish to make him suffer, even after death, with the guilt of all this."

"You and him are very much alike, always carrying heavy burdens, made heavier by your own wants," Zelas commented in a matter of fact neutral tone.

"What do you mean?" Zelgadis inquired, musing that he might not like the answer. Yet Zelas sounded more so philosophical than mocking and it made him curious, even if he knew her tone could change drastically to suit her fancy.

"Rezo wanted to see and he went mad, you want a child and it's driving you to this," Zelas stated. "Without those desires you would be enjoying what you have instead of pining after what you don't have. Yet that is how all creatures are, always wanting more."

"Even you?" Zelgadis dared to half state and half ask.

Zelas smile in mild amusement and nodded. "Even me. Although, naturally, my desires are different from those you and your friends may have, I too want more, more power, more amusement, more chaos, more adventures, more..." She paused as if searching for the right word, a word that would encompass all the things she mentioned. 

"More happiness?" Zelgadis offered.

Zelas considered the term. It felt ironic given the fact that she was a monster lord. "By my definition of it, yes. Albeit my happiness means sorrow and perhaps more so wrath for others. I suppose it is still happiness to me and that above all is what life is all about. Maybe that's the essence of motion, of evolution, of chaos," she mused aloud. "We always want and yet we never have enough so we carry the constant necessity to move forward and obtain, only to want more a second later. The never ending cycle of needs and wants that are impossible to satiate, we were made to remain in motion, all of us." After a silent pause, Zelas continued, readdressing the topic at hand. "There is another method, alchemy."

The method seemed too obvious, too simple to be the answer. Chimeras were created by a sort of alchemic process after all. Yet combining elements was far less difficult than tearing them apart. It was easier to say, let everything in this space be one, because 'everything in this space' was relatively easy to define. But to say, let the parts regain their original separate forms was near impossible. Who could say exactly what each part was? Who could accurately define them, point them out, set their boundaries? And if the union turned those parts into something else by being so closely exposed to each other, how could the process be reverted so that they could then be somehow separated? "What's the catch?" Zelgadis asked, distrusting.

"I can split you into three parts, as you were made from three parts... but I cannot guarantee what those three will be composed of," Zelas truthfully stated. "It is possible however, that one of those three pieces is closer to being human than the others. You would still be a chimera then, but your human side would be more dominant and that would reflect in your genetics. With some proper medicines and spells, I would think, it would be possible to make things work out."

"What's the catch?" Zelgadis repeated his question. Though Zelas was offering no guarantees, her proposed method still sounded too good to be true.

"All that I have spoken is true," and it was. But as always, it was also deceivingly phrased. "As for the true catch, that is up to you to determine. I have told you what I can offer you. Now tell me, what can you offer me?"

Zelgadis was caught off guard by the questions. He didn't expect Zelas to be so open. He was ready to try to look past a request full of trickery. He was prepared to hear her ask for too much, something too great, too precious. He was ready, or at least he thought he was ready, to refuse demands that he knew he would later regret. But this was no demand, yet, it was still not a willing offer. Yet he wasn't expecting this. He wasn't expecting her to ask him to suggest her payment, to make an offer. That was when the great pain of the truth hit him in the face like a ton of bricks, "nothing." He voiced barely above a whisper, "I have nothing."

"Nothing?" Zelas laughed. "What you have is nothing?"

Zelgadis shook his head and clarified, "I have nothing that I can think to offer you, nothing that I wouldn't mind parting with. What do you want from me?"

"You are rather useless," Zelas stated dismissively. "I was hoping you could give me an idea as to what to ask of you, but you truly are useless, even for that." She paused, taking in the taste of Zelgadis' anger, frustration and sadness. "How about espionage?"

"Espionage?" Zelgadis inquired. Why couldn't Zelas just send one of her monsters to spy on whoever she wanted to spy on? One would think that a monster, with free access to the astral side, would be a much more effective spy then a physical being. If it was a matter of the spy having a high possibility of being discovered for whatever reason, then it still wouldn't make sense to send him. Everyone knew about the connection that Lina and her friends had with Beast Master. If he was caught as a spy, they would immediately think of Zelas.

"Yes," Zelas elaborated. "It was something we attempted to do last year with Xellos, albeit there was interference during the split and Solex was the result of that. This time it will be different since you're not a monster, but I can still arrange it so that the other parts can communicate with me after I gift one of them to Dolphin and another to Dynast."

"I see; it's about the three pieces. I'll keep the one that's mostly human and you'll give the other two to Dolphin and Dynast as freakish gifts that they'll hopefully be curious enough to accept and you'll have spies in place. I suppose that wouldn't really have a negative effect on me." Zelgadis looked serious and suspicious. "It still feels too easy."

"That is only because your expectations are too high," Zelas carelessly stated with a touch of indifference. "Didn't I tell you that the results will not necessarily include a fully human body? I can decide where to put your soul, but what if this experiment yields three bodies almost exactly like the one you have? There is a possibility that the human side is dominant enough to make a difference, but there is also a possibility that the small extra percentage of human is so tiny that it doesn't do a thing. You'll be back to square one and I'll have no consolation price waiting for you. Moreover, the process cannot be continuously repeated, as your soul would not be able to take the strain. Perhaps another try in a few years would be safe enough, but the success rate would be just as uncertain as the first attempt." 

"Furthermore, I am a monster lord, not an alchemist," Zelas continued, deciding uncharacteristically to drop the deception completely. "Fusion magic will be needed to ensure you don't die during the process, so a human alchemist wouldn't be able to do this. I'll have to do it myself, with some cooperation from a dragon. I have knowledge about alchemy, but I'm not a scholar in the subject. In fact, it might even be best to get three dragons and three monsters involved, then each of us can focus in preserving one of the three pieces and have a higher rate of success. Yet I don't think such eager participants will just waltz through the door any time soon, so I might have to do this on my own with a dragon."

"In other words, you'll be conducting a difficult experiment with uncertain results in an area that is not your expertise," Zelgadis summarized.

"Exactly," Zelas confirmed. Her piercing silver eyes and long pupils were searching his face just as intensely as her taste examined his emotions.

"But you'll try your best," Zelgadis continued. "You'll truly and honestly try your very best to make this work, because it's in your best interest. My death will not sit well with Amelia or with any of our friends. Lina will be angry and in her fit she'll be very difficult to use as a strategic piece, even for the most skilled of players. You'll do this as best you can because it is in your best interest."

"Yes," Zelas smiled, they had reached an understanding. He knew that the process was risky, but he also knew that for once, she would be trying to do things exactly as she revealed she would. The deception had been dropped. There was no need for it, because Zelgadis knew enough to be willing to face the truth. She didn't need to paint a pretty picture for him; he knew that would be asking for too much. "In the worse case scenario, you end up as a bigger freak who is also part monster, but I have no intentions of letting you die this early in the game. Is my word good enough for you?"

His throat was dry, his heart was pounding, his palms were sweaty and his whole body felt stiff. Finally, he pushed his voice to function speaking the unthinkable and wondering if this constituted as a broken promise. "It's good enough."

To be Continued


	10. Chapter 10

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 028: Mutation! Half Cured And Half Worse

"Everything is ready," Celo announced with a tone of reluctance in his voice that Zelgadis didn't like. If even Celo was hesitating, there had to be a very good reason.

"Good, let us begin then," Zelas' piercing eyes were on Zelgadis, who was still as a statue. The room was dimly lit with energy crystals round about. What could only be described as a giant jar, lay in the middle with fusion energy swirling within it. 

Zelgadis swallowed the lump in his throat. He glanced at Phythan, who gave him a thumbs up. He expected no less from the optimistic and innocent golden dragon. Automatically putting one foot in front of the other, Zelgadis stepped in front of the large jar, which stood around ten feet tall. He levitated and positioned himself on the edge. He doubted and wondered if he really should jump in, then froze in place as a red monster parrot materialized.

"Lord Beast Master!" The red bird called in alarm.

"Yes," Zelas nodded calmly, though her eyes held a somewhat serious look that made Zelgadis wonder about the cause. "I can sense her, let her in."

"Here?" Iago, the red monster parrot, inquired in surprise.

"Yes," Zelas confirmed and once again, Iago was gone, off to deliver the message.

"Who is she?" Zelgadis inquired with a growing feeling of foreboding that increased just when he thought it couldn't get worse. It could, he reminded himself, it always could.

Zelas perched herself on the edge of the jar next to Zelgadis with a quick short range teleportation. "It is not your concern," and she pushed him in. Zelgadis yelped as he fell, but had no time to muster the focus needed for a levitation spell before he sunk into the swirls of magic within the large jar.

Moisture mysteriously clung to the atmosphere as a woman in a blue dress entered the chamber. "What are you plotting, Zelas?" Deep Sea Dolphin demanded to know. "I've had enough of your games, I know you're gathering chaotic energy and strange things have been happening. The last time you made such unusual use of your general priest, the world was nearly erased, as in not returned to chaos, but erased."

"I am aware of last year's happenings," Zelas stated calmly in spite of Dolphin's indignation. "I am also aware of the fact you have been collecting chaotic energy."

"I have not!" Dolphin denied. "Some thing, I don't know who or what, has been stealing the chaotic energy that gathered at the bottom of the sea. I was merely trying to keep it where it was. The thing, the disturbance, rumors tell that it fought with the Knight of Ceifeed recently and afterwards Luna ran off to plot with the dragons. It's all too suspicious and now you are added to the list."

"This disturbance you speak of," it didn't sound like Dolphin knew what it was anymore than Zelas did. "It has nothing to do with me."

Dolphin crossed her arms and huffed. "If you're not behind it, then why not uncover the thing?"

"As a team you mean?" Zelas inquired though she already knew that Dolphin was indeed suggesting an alliance between them. "Very well."

"Fine," Dolphin agreed. She let her eyes wander to the large jar. "What's that? A secret weapon of yours?"

"Not exactly," albeit anything could be a weapon if properly used. "It's a pet project, would you like to participate?" Zelas offered.

No, Dolphin did not want to participate, but she couldn't very well ignore this suspicious invitation from Zelas. "Yes," she decided.

xoxox xox xoxox

The days went by and Zelgadis whereabouts were unheard of. After some time in Sairaag, Filia grew impatient and insisted that they should continue their journey one day after breakfast. "I agree," Amelia had voiced. "I don't know why Zelgadis hasn't written to me, but I fear that maybe it's because he can't. If we travel, we might hear something about him." She was worried, but also determined to find him, she shouldn't have let him go off on his own in the first place.

"Alright," Lina agreed. "We'll get ready to leave right away. Thanks for your hospitality, Sylphiel."

"You're welcome..." Sylphiel was too polite to sigh in relief at Lina's announcement as the redhead nearly ate her out of house and home. 

"I'll stay here," Pokota decided.

Lina nodded, not questioning his reasons, though the way Sylphiel smiled shyly at the announcement spoke volumes. "Okay, see you around then." Thus the group was on the road again. Lina, Gourry, Xellos, Filia and Amelia, left the town of Sairaag with no set destination. Instead they would figure things out as they went along and hopefully find some clues about Zelgadis.

xoxox xox xoxox

Going from one town to another, Lina and her companions took the time to listen to the chatter in the streets and pay attention to the rumors. The grave vine told of the Knight of Ceifeed having gone off to meet with the higher ups of dragon society and Lina was curious about it, but didn't pursue any further information. Luna was just fine, exactly as she assumed, or so she thought. Another peculiar rumor in a random little town told of a strange creature in a lake. The definition of 'strange creature' was rather broad, but they decided to check it out anyway.

It was a calm and beautiful day with clear blue skies and a soft breeze blowing. "It's a picnic kind of day," Lina remarked as she observed the peaceful lake among grassy valleys. It was a very large lake, big enough to sail a ship in it.

Amelia sighed as she watched the majesty before her. She took off her boots, then levitated and flew on the lake's surface, dipping her toes in the water. "Um... Isn't there supposed to be some kind of strange creature in there?" Gourry pointed out to Lina, who was next to him, as Amelia was already several feet away.

Lina shrugged, "it looks pretty calm to me. Let's not forget that all the rumors we heard before this one were also duds."

"Duds?" Gourry asked in confusion.

"Fake," Lina clarified. "It looks like there's nothing here after all, but..." She observed how peaceful Amelia looked. The Seyruun princess could certainly use a break. "Let's rest here for a while before continuing on. In fact, let's spend the rest of the afternoon and evening here and camp out tonight. We can go fishing for dinner."

The word 'dinner' made Gourry's face light up. "Alright!" As he got ready to go fishing, he mentioned, "hey Lina, do you remember when we camped and went fishing for the first time? It was before we met Amelia, remember?"

"Yeah," Lina smiled at the fond memories, she had many of those with Gourry. 

xoxox xox xoxox 

While Amelia took some time to relax, and Lina and Gourry went fishing, Filia sat under a tree at the lake's side contemplating it. "What's on your mind?" Xellos curiously sat down beside her."

"A lot of things," surprisingly, she didn't snap. "I've been thinking about why I know healing magic, about why I would feel in a way a monster shouldn't, about..." She caught herself and stopped. "It's none of your business, raw garbage!"

"Monsters really are rude," Xellos mocked.

"They're supposed to be... I think," Filia sounded unsure. 

"Wouldn't that make it too obvious?" Xellos suggested.

"I suppose," Filia thought about it for a moment. "I guess a more effective monster could be polite, but still infuriating, like it's obvious it's a farce but at the same time no one will really notice because the acting would be so good." She wasn't sure where that description came from. Had she heard it in a story at some point in time? "Of course, someone able to sense energy would still notice."

"You really are a strange monster." Filia wanted to hit Xellos for that, even if she had no choice but to agree with him. "I mean, shouldn't you be trying to make me lower my guard or something. Smile a lot and confuse people, something like that."

"No," Filia pouted. "Because you smile practically all the time and I'm nothing like you."

"I never accused you of that," Xellos pointed out calmly. Then he mused on it and said something that he knew would make Filia angry, yet the words left him anyway. "You are kind of dragon-like though; maybe not like me, but somehow dragon-like."

Filia gasped, shocked at the offense. Now she really wanted to hit Xellos, but she was too appalled to do so. Instead she inquired, "how am I dragon-like?"

"You fuss about other people's business when you're supposed to be indifferent," Xellos began to list off reasons. "You know how to heal and-" 

"Watch out!" The next thing Xellos knew he was being tackled by Filia.

Fang had teleported suddenly and was ready to pounce on Xellos for his usual greeting of licking his face. He was in full monster fox form, prominent fangs sticking out of his mouth, covered in black fur with two large fox tails. Thinking that it was a game, Fang hopped on Filia. 

"Uff!" Filia's breath was knocked out of her as her physical projection reacted to the sudden weight on her back. She lifted her head, her face inches away from Xellos and she blushed in an involuntary reaction as she stammered. "Please get off, Fang." A part of her wanted to fade into the astral side and another part wanted to stay exactly where she was. Fang got off Filia and sat down to wait for the monster and the dragon to get to their feet. Shifting awkwardly, Filia inquired. "Why were you attacking Xellos?" Worry sunk into her as she considered a possibility. "Did Lord Beast Master order you to kill him?"

Fang tilted his head to the side in curiosity then shook it. He stood on his hind legs, placed his front paws on Xellos' shoulders and licked his face. "Hey!" Xellos laughed. "For a monster, you sure are friendly. Oddballs, all of you!"

"I'll take that as a no," Filia concluded with relief. "Why are you here then?"

"Maybe he's just checking things out for Beast Master," Xellos guessed.

Fang released him from the puppy-like greeting and nodded, then he faded away back into the astral side. "I guess he went back to report," Filia concluded.

"Well, that was random," Xellos observed. "How kind of you to jump in my defense."

"That is... I wasn't..." Filia wasn't sure what kind of argument she was suppose to put up against that. There was simply no way she could deny something so obvious, so she resorted to simply shouting, "raw garbage!"

"Funny," Xellos chuckled mockingly. "Instead of an insult, I'm starting to take that as a term of endearment." 

That was it, another mace wielding chase ensured. Yet not Lina, nor Gourry, nor Amelia tried to stop it. The odd monster and dragon pair were not fighting anymore, they reasoned. That was just their odd way of flirting.

xoxox xox xoxox

After a while, Lina and Gourry had caught some fish. Amelia was helping them cook them. "I'll see if I can get some more near the center of the lake, that's where the big ones should be," Lina announced. She took off her cape where she stored all sorts of things and left it in the shore. She also removed her boots so she could dip her feet into the lake water for a while. With her makeshift fishing rod in hand, consisting of a long string tied to a stick, Lina levitated off to the center of the lake. 

Lina soon became impatient as the fish weren't biting and resolved to stir the waters a little to get their attention. However, she over did it and a whirlpool of water soon formed in the center of the lake. "Oops!" It wasn't strong enough to pull her in, but it was enough to tangle the fishing rod's string on something. Lina felt a strong pull and ended up under water. She gave her levitation spell more strength and surfaced. "Amelia! Levitate over here and give me a hand!"

"I'm coming!" Amelia hurried towards Lina and grabbed hold of the stick. 

The thin wood broke, but Lina quickly grabbed hold of the string. "No you don't! That might have been just a regular stick, but this string is enchanted to be extra strong!" It was used to fish for sea dragons, but she decided that she didn't need to say that aloud, least it reached inappropriate ears. She couldn't picture Xellos making a fuss of dragon cuisine even if he was a dragon now. But if Filia heard and remembered it when she recovered her original species, she might have a thing or two to say.

"In the name of justice, you won't get away from us!" Amelia valiantly declared; this was apparently a very big and strong fish. Suddenly, the unknown fish pulled them half underwater, where the abundant bubbles that formed with the struggle clouded their vision. Only their legs were still above the water.

Gourry wanted to help, but he couldn't levitate and swimming over might not be very useful. But wait, didn't Lina keep all sorts of useful items in her cape? Maybe she had some rope. He rummaged through her belongings, hoping that Lina would forgive him since it was for a good reason. Among Lina's things, he found a cat plush toy. It was a white cat with a red bow on her ear and blue overalls. He remembered having given that cat plush to Lina over a year ago. With no time to think about it too much now, he quickly found the item he was looking for, a rope.

While Filia chased Xellos round about the large lake, swinging her mace at him almost playfully, Gourry made a lasso with the rope and threw it at Lina's foot that was still visible above the water. He pulled with all his might, with the levitating Lina and Amelia pulling as well once they surfaced.

Shards of ice suddenly flew from under the water, as if someone casted a Freeze Arrow aimed at the two floating women. "What kind of fish can use magic?" Amelia gasped.

"I don't know, but I hope it's the tasty kind!" Lina exclaimed. They kept on pulling and defending themselves with Flare Arrows, until they reached the shore. 

Amelia and Lina, touched down on dry land and Gourry let go of the rope, instead grabbing hold of the enchanted string along with them. Xellos and Filia noticed there was some sort of commotion going on and curiously approached, just in time to see the others pull a creature out of the lake, the string tangled around its tail.

The strange creature had light blue fish scales with bits of stone in a few places, at least from the waist down. The most shocking part was that from the waist up he looked like a human man with lavender hair and a very familiar face. "Zelgadis!" Amelia exclaimed upon seeing him and threw herself into his arms. "I was so worried about you!"

Zelgadis blushed brightly. "Who... who are you? And what did you call me just now?"

Amelia looked into his eyes. "It's me, Amelia, your fiance! Your name is Zelgadis, don't you remember?"

Zelgadis looked shocked, "I'm Zelgadis... and I have a fiance?" 

"Um... Lina," Gourry whispered to her discretely. "I don't think we should eat this one." Lina only elbowed him in response.

"That's right," Amelia looked him over once more. Half of him was human with soft skin and hair, but his fish tail was rock hard. "What in the world happened to you, Zel?"

"I'm not sure," Zelgadis admitted. "I only remember waking up in the sea. Deep Sea Dolphin was there, she said I was an accursed human that would be her pet. Then something odd happened. There was some kind of energy accumulated at the bottom of the sea. It was strange, like purely chaotic energy. A sort of force as if from another world was calling the energy away, stealing it. When Dolphin was focused on preventing that, I took the opportunity to escape. I reached dry land and moved with levitation, staying away from any settlements. I couldn't be seen like this... I finally stopped here to rest in this lake."

At least they could conclude that he was able to breath in the water and out of it. "You really have lost your memories, but it's you, it's really you." Amelia hugged him again.

"Please... stop..." Zelgadis muttered almost inaudibly.

"Oh, sorry, it must be strange for you to have me hugging you even if you don't even remember me," Amelia apologized.

Zelgadis shook his head. "I... you..." He looked at the young woman's face, trying to find a sense of recognition, but there was nothing. "Why would you still want to be with me? Even if I was your fiance before," he blushed at the thought. "Look at me now."

Zelgadis was supposed to be going to see Zelas, so Amelia wasn't sure how Dolphin ended up getting involved, but when it came to the monster lords, things could get complicated and unpredictable. "It's okay, I'm just happy to have you back alive. You'll come with us, right?"

Zelgadis considered it for a moment and finally replied, "no."

"Why not?" Amelia questioned. "Don't you believe me?"

He examined her honest face again and assured, "I do believe you, that's why I can't go with you. If you really were my fiance-"

"Are," Amelia corrected.

"Right..." Zelgadis continued, "if you were, and more so if you still are, my fiance, then I can't do this to you. I can't remember, but I do get a good feeling from you. I can't put you in danger. Dolphin was distracted by the chaotic energy being stolen, but she might still come after me. If you're with me, you'll be in danger."

"It's okay, I'm not afraid of facing peril!" Amelia declared with endless courage. "No matter what, justice will always triumph!"

"Amelia..." Zelgadis wondered if she was always this stubborn. He wondered about what kind of adventures they got into before he was 'cursed'.

"You're not going to change my mind," Amelia insisted with a reassuring smile.

Zelgadis let out a breath a nodded. "I guess I have no choice but to agree. I get the feeling that you won't let me get away even if I try to leave for your own good."

"That's right," Amelia ascertained. 

"I guess this means some re-introductions are in order," Lina began. "I'm the beautiful sorceress Lina Inverse, the leader of this band of travelers."

"I'm Gourry, I'm a swordsman," the blond added simply. 

"Xellos, golden dragon," Xellos grinned in amusement.

"I am Filia, the general priestess of Lord Beast Master," Filia finished. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 029: Visitors! To The Kingdom Of Chaos And Beasts

Other than some basic knowledge about how the world worked, which included the names of Ceifeed, Shabranigdu and the five monster lords, Zelgadis didn't know much else. He didn't know the names of any of the minions of the major monster lords and didn't question Filia's claim about being Beast Master's general priestess. He just looked at her strangely. 

Noticing the stare, Filia elaborated, "I assure you, I speak the truth." She did a very short range teleportation, moving from the area behind Xellos to right next to Zelgadis. "However, even if you are the escaped pet of Lord Deep Sea Dolphin, I have no reason to return you to her unless I am ordered to do so, as I serve only Lord Beast Master."

All these people seemed to be familiar with Amelia and with him, Zelgadis noticed. He wondered what kind of strange life he lived before. If someone like Filia was his acquaintance, then maybe he shouldn't even be surprised that he ended up the way he did, getting involved in monster business like that. 

xoxox xox xoxox

It was decided that Zelgadis would accompany the group. Though he could get around on dry land with the use of levitation, they couldn't exactly be seen with a merman. Then again, their group was strange already and they had been seen with a chimera during their past adventures. Plus there was the fact that Xellos had his tail out all the time, revealing his current species too. Even so, there was no need to make people talk about the merman. It might catch Dolphin's attention and she might just decide to make room in her busy schedule to find him, or pull a minion away from a different task and send someone over to take her pet back. 

Thus they resolved to disguise Zelgadis with long robes that touched the ground and made him look a whole lot like Rezo. Zelgadis didn't fully remember Rezo, but he had the vague knowledge of having an ancestor, a grandfather perhaps, with such a name. He didn't remember the later part of his life with Rezo when he became a bitter chimera, but recalled bits and pieces of the happier times. Given that, even though the clothing was not really what he would call his style, he didn't protest to wearing the long robes if it would allow him to blend in at the towns they passed.

Lina decided that they should continue looking around and gathering clues about any unusual activities, as that could enlighten the unknown aspects of the world's current situation. As long as the journey continued, Filia had no complaints with Lina's directions. They traveled from one town to another aimlessly and followed all the rumors they heard. From haunted caves in the middle of dark forests, to holy mountains said to grant miracles to those who climbed to the top, they traveled all over the peninsula waiting for a reliable clue to surface. 

Just as before, most of the rumors turned out to be false and many times the hauntings were actually stories made up by bandits to protect their hideouts. At least they got some treasure out of those occasions. There was, as expected, plenty of chaos along the way. Filia and Xellos still argued and insulted each other. Zelgadis blushed every time Amelia did something to show him her affection and was slowly starting to understand why the energetic young woman was indeed someone he would like to have as his fiance. Gourry and Lina further developed their friendship, yet there was an invisible barrier that prevented them from discussing feelings beyond those of companionship. They didn't want to get hurt again, even though their break up had all been due to a misunderstanding being blown out of proportions. Yet deep down, neither of them gave up.

Eventually, their travels led them to the kingdom of Zoana, which had been completely restored with some help from Beast Master. As most of the original subjects had left, the place was now populated mostly by black magic users and monster supporters. It was like a giant magic guild that specialized in offensive spells and spells related to Lord Beast Master. Amelia shuddered and silently vowed not to let Seyruun become that way, though it was perhaps in Zelas' best interest to keep Seyruun centered around white magic, to have some interesting variety in her forces should the need arise to bring up the kingdom's born-from-necessity alliance. 

Ironically, though the streets were populated by mostly mages along with a few who were not only sorcerers but also ninja, and some who took on the profession of assassins, there were no bandits to be seen in Zoana's streets. The noise of bar fights was completely absent. The dread of the negative energy of black magic hung in the air, yet the atmosphere was strangely still. "This place is eerily peaceful," Amelia observed. 

"Of course," Filia proudly assured. "You can't expect Lord Beast Master's followers to be a bunch of unruly animals. They're not dragons."

"Aren't they supposed to be beasts, though?" Xellos pointed out.

The town did indeed have many humans, but it had just as many beastmen. Because of the less than favorable relationship that beastmen and humans shared in the past, some of them were not too keen on following Ceifeed, simply because the humans were. Thus many actually favored Beast Master, simply because they thought she was somehow closer to their kind. It was inaccurate and unwise, but beastmen, just as humans, were easily swayed by the perception of a sense of identification. For the same reason, the beastmen thought that the humans of Zoana were different from other humans.

"Beasts yes, but not the unruly kind. Cunning beasts, hunters whose prey can never escape, effective powerful beasts, elegant beasts," Filia retorted.

"Aren't dragons the most elegant beasts?" Xellos continued.

Filia pouted, "dragons are lizards, they're reptiles!"

"Aren't reptiles beasts?" Xellos pointed out, more so than asked. His face held his ever present grin and cheery eyed expression.

"Yes, but," Filia paused, and rather than continuing the argument directly, she pointed out. "As a dragon, aren't you supposed to be offended by being compared to the monsters?"

Xellos shrugged, his smile still the same as ever, "not really."

Filia frowned, "you should be! Why aren't you defending the dragon race? Why aren't you saying that they could never be compared to the chaotic monsters? You're supposed to be declaring that the dragon race is righteous, just and dignified!"

"I don't have to, because you're doing it for me." Xellos opened one eye in a reverse wink and closed it again, smiling even more if that was even possible. "I didn't realize you had such a high opinion of dragons, I'm flattered."

"You'll be flattened!" Filia yelled and materialized her mace.

"Now, now, Filia, I'm sure you don't want to ruin the elegant atmosphere of Zoana, right?" Lina pointed out.

Surprisingly, it worked. "Hmp!" Filia let her mace fade away, threw her head back and tried her best to ignore Xellos' mocking grin.

"Honestly, I'm not all that surprised that this place is so peaceful," Lina commented. "Everyone has a decent amount of power, so people know not to pick fights. It reminds me of Zephilia in that sense." Except Zephilia was a land that produced many heroes and Zoana would become a land that produced many villains, not petty thieves, but true warlords. Albeit even the troublemakers of Zoana knew not to anger anyone in their homeland, as the possibility of annoying the wrong person, meaning someone more powerful than themselves, was very high. Even the strongest of Zoana held their peace in their home city, as they didn't know when a mission could go wrong and they would find themselves running home with injuries that could mean their demise if their neighbors held any enmity towards them.

"Are we going to find a restaurant soon?" Gourry asked with his stomach supporting the notion with a growl. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Lina admitted, "but we're not going to a restaurant. This is Zoana, Martina and Zangulus are the rulers here." They had since been able to leave their previous jobs and dedicate themselves to the kingdom in full, though even there they were still working for Beast Master in a sense. "We'll go visit them and have them treat us to a meal. As much as I don't want to hear Martina showing off now that she's rich again, we can use that to our advantage and have her pamper us just to show off." Lina would just have to keep her temper in check for that plan to work, which was easier said than done. 

Lina glanced at Amelia, who nodded, silently indicating she had her back. "I'm sure we'll bring out Miss Martina's more hospitable side."

"I'll leave the diplomacy to you then," Lina resolved. "While white magic centric towns are known for their advances in medicine, black magic cities like this one, tend to be known for their unusual dishes. I want to see how the Zoana cuisine has evolved so far and I'll admit I'm curious about little prince Zoamelgustar too."

"Who's Zoamelgustar?" Gourry inquired, predictably.

"Martina and Zangulus son, the prodigy baby mage full of chaotic energy," Lina reminded.

Zelgadis remained quiet through the exchange. Amelia noticed, smiled at him reassuringly and linked her arm with his. He somehow found it in himself to smile back at her, a light pink tint invading his face. This was certainly an odd bunch of people he ended up with, but he was curious to learn more about them, especially about Amelia.

xoxox xox xoxox

The Zoana royal palace looked like the castle of the evil queen from a fairytale, though it might not have been intentional. Yet the many mask sculptures and statues all over the place in Zoamelgustar and Beast Master's symbols gave it an ominous feel. The architecture incorporated not only Zelas official monster seal but also the crest she used in her human business woman persona. The colors included prominent black with highlights of bright yellow here and there. 

As Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos approached the front gates, the guards stood at the ready. "State your business," one of them spoke from under his dark hood.

Lina looked to Amelia, who stepped forward. "I am Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, my companions and I are here to visit your king and queen."

'Seyruun,' Zelgadis thought, that was the name of that city of white magic, right? Then Amelia must hold a prominent position there. Could she be...?

"Very well, princess Amelia," the guard spoke, "please follow me." He nodded to the other sentry and left the post in his care as he left the group inside.

'She's a princess!' Zelgadis thought uneasily. This strange band of travelers kept surprising him more and more. A monster, a dragon and a princess; furthermore, the princess was his fiance.

The group followed the guard inside to an elegant waiting room. "Please wait here while I inform the king and queen of your arrival."

"Sure, no problem." Lina immediately made herself comfortable on the sofa, even if it wasn't her style, with its yellow and black lines it looked like a roadside warning sign. She and Gourry immediately attacked the fruit bowl that was left out for guests to snack on should they be bored of waiting and more often treated as a decoration. It looked pretty, but it was edible and the latter was all that mattered to them.

"You're a princess," Zelgadis observed.

Amelia nodded as if it was nothing. "That's right; you didn't remember that, did you? Sorry I didn't mention it."

"That's..." Of all the surprises he could receive, Zelgadis certainly wasn't expecting this. "That's kind of a big thing."

Amelia shrugged, "not really." She smiled reassuringly. "Don't go there again, Zel."

"Don't go where?" Zelgadis inquired.

As if reading his thoughts, Amelia gently voiced. "The whole I'm not good enough for you deal. We went over that and though you may not remember it, I convinced you to let me be the one to decide that." Until the tragedy of the stillborn child convinced him otherwise, but she didn't want to talk about that. 

"Oh..." Zelgadis mused on it and for the time being let things be. Though he was still worried, what would a princess have to do with a half fish freak?

A few minutes later, another guard arrived to escort the guests to the throne room. The whole way as they walked there, Lina kept mentally telling herself not to give Martina the satisfaction of blowing her temper.

xoxox xox xoxox

The group was led into the throne room, which predictably, had a big Zoamelgustar mask hanging over the two thrones where the king and queen sat. Zangulus shifted continuously, as if he thought the fancy clothes no doubt Martina forced him to wear for the sake of showing off for their guests were too much. The place was dimly lit with black marble on the floor, walls and high ceiling. A dark red carpet marked a path from the door to the thrones which had yellow curtains on the sides, framing the royal seats and the Zoamelgustar symbol above them.

"Ah! He he ha he he!" Martina laughed. "Welcome guests, to my glorious palace! Ah! He he ha he he!"

"Hey Gourry," Zangulus called out to his rival. "You'll stay long enough for us to spar, right?"

"You bet!" Gourry immediately agreed, then he paused and looked at Lina, "right?" He was just too used to following her.

"Yeah, yeah..." Just hearing Martina's mocking laugh infuriated Lina and she was already having a hard time keeping her temper down.

Not pleased with the interruption, Martina continued. "What do you think of my palace?" The sound of raspberries was heard as the bundle of black blankets on Martina's lap awoke. She let out a high pitched squeal and turned the bundle over to face her, making all sorts of silly faces at it. After a few minutes of receiving odd stares from Lina and company, Martina stopped and removed the black blankets from around the baby, who was all too happy to be free to blow raspberries at all those present and clap his hands for no apparent reason. "Look Zoamelgustar, uncle Xellos is here... Er, I mean, aunty Filia is here!" Martina corrected as she recalled that Filia was temporarily doing Xellos' job, as well as donning his species.

Filia had not been in close communication with Martina during the past year. Xellos on the other hand occasionally dropped by to see how the chaotic energy infused child was developing and report to Beast Master. The boy would certainly grow up to be a great wizard and Zelas wanted to keep him involved in her plans for any future missions that Lina might be for some unlikely reason unable, or daringly unwilling, to cooperate with. As a result of that, neither Filia nor Zoamelgustar were familiar with each other and Filia wondered if she was supposed to be. 

Filia's subconscious could modify what memories she kept into something that fitted her current role. Yet she held no memories about this very strange human child that the queen had set down. The boy seemed to have a liking for blowing raspberries and clapping, possibly at his own accomplishment of being able to mock someone. For a creature that held a vast amount of chaotic energy inside a tiny body, the boy certainly looked innocent. He had big pale blue eyes like Martina's and black hair like Zangulus, in an assortment of bouncy curls like Martina's, framing his round baby face.

Little Zoamelgustar was a relatively fast crawler, but nothing particularly alarming; he could pass for a normal energetic baby to those who didn't know him. He stopped in front of Xellos and looked up at him curiously, sitting on the floor. Martina thought it was important to allow Zoamelgustar to learn and explore, so if he wanted to take a close look at something, or someone, she'd let him and no one better get in his way. The child sat on the floor staring at Xellos for a long moment until he fell on his back from leaning his head back to look at the visitors that were much taller than him, as he was a rather small baby. Not phased by the minor setback, the child rolled over, and moved back into a crawling position, moving in circles around Xellos. 

Everyone was curious and had expected Zoamelgustar to be as repulsive as the talisman that represented the creature it was named after; the creature that Martina claimed had reincarnated through her and Zangulus' firstborn. In a sense it had, as Zoamelgustar was Martina's own creation, had Martina been a monster lord, she would have, by wishing and believing it to be so, created herself a minion with that name and appearance. It further brought into question the rumor that told that Zelas was drunk on astral wine when she made Xellos, a peculiar black cone, but she had refused to give a straight answer to that. 

Yet Martina was human, thankfully, so the process was a little different, her strong will and stubborn belief attracted enough chaotic energy to be absorbed by the life growing within her, before she even became aware of it; for the boy to be special. He might just end up at the center of a number of prophecies about evil wizards, but a baby was too young to concern himself with that anyway. Especially since right now he had a much more immediate concern, was this really uncle Xellos?

The soul of this creature felt like uncle Xellos, but the energy was very different. The energy that the magic sensitive child was used to feeling associated with the ever amusing uncle Xellos was radiating off the one his mother called aunty Filia. Well, having a new aunty was just fine, but what about uncle Xellos? Why was he different? Why did his hair look different, though his face remained the same? Why did he have a tail? Why was his energy so different? Was this really truly uncle Xellos, the same one he knew? What was wrong with him? 

It was all too confusing for little Zoamelgustar and he didn't like being confused. He wished the energies around him felt familiar again, but nothing was familiar lately. He was a human, the balance of light and darkness, the ideal vessel of chaos. He realized and he perceived many things a subconscious level that humans generally ignored, but in his young age he had not learned to ignore. He felt the flow of magical energy rather than focus only on the physically perceptible like many adult non-magic users did. Right now, there was something big and bad taking away the energy of that world, as if stealing an invisible security blanket. 

The bad thing was far away, but it made him uneasy, he was okay with his parents, they would protect him, he assumed, but he wasn't in the mood to be confused. He didn't like this; more unfamiliarity on top of everything upset him. So he cried. He opened his mouth wide and his little voice echoed loudly. The decorative blue flames of the golden candle holders with yellow candles that simulated being made of gold, but couldn't be, as such was an inconvenient material for candles, flared in response to the child's cries and the energy in the atmosphere stirred. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 030: Pieces! Parts Of A Whole

Martina stood, but Filia had already scooped the child into her arms and was glaring at Xellos who gave her an innocent look. For once, it was honest, he didn't know what he did to frighten the baby, he just stood there and let the boy examine him so as to not frighten him. The traces of magic in the atmosphere became still as little Zoamelgustar calmed down.

"You scared him, raw garbage." Filia accused with a suspiciously victorious tone.

"I didn't do anything," Xellos pointed out truthfully.

"You scared him with your ugly face." Filia informed as if it was a well known fact.

"Then your face will surely give him nightmares, he's too terrified to scream," Xellos countered.

Zoamelgustar giggled at their argument and Filia took it as a sign in her favor. "He's perfectly happy with me."

"Isn't that bad for your health?" Xellos teased.

"What? A child's happiness? I'm strong enough to withstand it," Filia stuck out her tongue. 

While the others seemed just as entertained as the baby with the odd pair's arguments, Lina decided that she had enough. "So Martina, aren't you going to show us some hospitality and throw a banquet?"

"Of course I will," Martina agreed too easily and Lina knew that something was up. "Right after we finish catching up! Ah! He he ha he he! Is it me, or have you gotten shorter? You're still flat-chested after all this time? I've been hearing some odd rumors about you, Lina..."

"Enough! If you're going to rant about me, at least feed me first!" Lina stomped her feet in anger.

"If I must feed you, at least hear me out first!" Martina countered. "Such a bad mannered guest!" She pouted. 

In the background, Amelia whispered something to Gourry. Lina saw it from the corner of her eyes, but wasn't paying attention. "Such a bad mannered host!" The redhead sorceress fumed. Gourry walked over to her with a smile and suddenly started massaging her shoulders.

"It's okay Lina, you're just cranky because you're hungry, let's not argue anymore, alright?" Lina froze, while Amelia gave her a thumbs up and a smile. Her face suddenly turned as red as her hair as her mind was flooded with memories. She wanted to have Gourry all to herself again, but how could she go about it? She was afraid of a serious direct rejection. At least this way she had his friendship, but what if she ruined it? She would have to proceed carefully.

Since Lina grew silent, Martina declared herself the winner of the argument with a victorious laugh. "Ah! He he ha he he!" Then they moved on to the banquet hall to occupy themselves in eating.

xoxox xox xoxox

At the banquet hall with a big meal all set up, Xellos managed to get Zoamelgustar's attention with a cookie he snatched from the dessert section before Lina got that far, as she was busily devouring everything in the main course section along with Gourry. His energy might have confused him, but this was somehow his dear uncle Xellos, so Zoamelgustar was starting to pay attention to him again. Filia wasn't too happy about it and they made it their silent competition to try to win the baby's attention. 

Amelia made polite diplomatic conversation with Martina, who was in princess mode now too. That left Zangulus to take notice of the fact that Martina was either not too observant, or too self-centered, or too focused on annoying Lina, or all three, as she had not said a word about Zelgadis' cure. Curious to hear about it, Zangulus casually asked. "How did you find your cure, Zelgadis?"

"My cure?" Zelgadis inquired. He had a curse right now as half of him hidden beneath the long robes, was a fish. Yet Zangulus seemed to be referring to something he was cured from, an illness perhaps? Amelia had been telling him things slowly so as to not overload him with information that was hard to believe. He knew there was more to his life than the stories he had heard so far, but assumed she would get to telling more as they went along in their strange journey. "What do you mean?"

"For the chimeraism," Zangulus pointed out and that only made Zelgadis more confused. The swordsman king wasn't sure what could be confusing the other man; his question had been clear enough. "You were a chimera before, remember? You had blue rocky skin that you don't have now. How did you manage to become human again? I thought you had stopped searching for the cure."

He was a chimera before? Well that would explain why his fish tail was so strange, such resistant scales and the bits of rock, he was no ordinary merman. "Monsters," Zelgadis answered simply in a likely theory. He would have to ask Amelia for the details later.

"Ah, I see," Zangulus nodded, accepting the answer. "Gotta be careful with them though." 

The banquet was progressing in such a way, when Zelgadis and Zangulus' conversation was interrupted by a guard rushing in. "Your majesties!" He called out in despair. "The beast is back!"

"The beast!" Martina exclaimed. "Do as Lord Beast Master said, capture it alive!" She commanded.

"I'm going out there," Zangulus announced. Even in his kingly clothes he had his sword by his side. He kind of wished he had his hat, but there was no time to have the relic fetched from the royal chambers. Martina let him keep it as long as he didn't wear it too often and definitely not to important diplomatic activities.

"Oh Zangulus!" Martina reached out to him dramatically, like a damsel from a play. "Be careful, my darling!" She exclaimed with exaggerated anguish. 

"Don't worry, my love," Zangulus replied with equal flare. After being around Martina for so long, her dramatics started to rub off on him. "I shall return to you and our son unharmed. Now I must go fight for our kingdom!" With that noble declaration made, the king of Zoana kissed his queen and ran off with the guard.

The atmosphere stood still for several moments as Lina tried to tare herself away from the food long enough to ask what was going on. She knew it had to be important with the talk about a beast and Beast Master, but she needed another bite, and another, and another... Then before Lina could speak, Martina laughed. "Ah! He he ha he he! Time for some beast hunting! I can entrust Zoamelgustar to you two, right?" She glanced at Xellos and Filia, not waiting for their answer before going on her way.

"Wait!" It was Amelia who called out to Martina, as Lina was still busy eating. "What's going on?" She finally asked.

"Oh, the beast is back," Martina noticed their perplexed looks and elaborated. "It's a mysterious chimera beast that goes crazy attacking towns. The magic guilds of several towns have posted wanted posters for it. Beast Master wants to capture it too, but she wants it alive. It's a slippery creature though, really hard to catch. Well, I'm off to join the fun!" She left the banquet hall.

"All those dramatics about parting ways with her husband and she's going to fight too?" Filia huffed. She had thought at first that it was touching, like something out of a romance novel, but she was proud that her huff came out sufficiently disgusted as it should be for a monster.

"I might as well see what this is about," Xellos decided. "You can baby-sit on your own for a while, right, stupid monster?"

"Absolutely not, raw garbage!" Filia refused. "From what I've heard, this business concerns Lord Beast Master, so I must investigate further. You should watch young Zoamelgustar until I return."

"Alright, I'll just take him with me then." Xellos walked only a few steps with the child in his arms before Filia stopped him.

"You'll do no such thing!" The monster screeched.

Amelia sighed and walked over to them. "Give him here; I'll take care of Zoamelgustar." The monster and dragon offered no protests to that and handed over the baby to the Seyruun princess. Then the odd pair dashed off outside. Amelia sighed and looked at the baby who looked back at her. "Don't worry, we won't miss out. As an ally of justice, I can investigate and protect you all at once!" The baby giggled in response.

"So you were going after all," Zelgadis approached. "Somehow I feel that I shouldn't be surprised, maybe I'm starting to really get to know you better, or remember a little. There are many things I need to ask though, about being a chimera and other things."

Amelia nodded sadly. "You wanted a cure so badly," she recalled. "I don't know how exactly it happened, but that must be how you ended up as a merman."

"So I was strange even before this. If the way the fish tail is reflects the chimera I was, I must have been strange indeed," Zelgadis mused sadly.

"I thought you were cool and you're still cool. It doesn't matter if you're a chimera or a merman as long as you're yourself." Amelia gently rocked the baby in her arms. "Somehow, even if difficulties may come, we'll get through them together. Don't feel bad for being the way you are, okay?"

Zelgadis nodded silently, though it was easier said than done. There was a sadness in Amelia's eyes that he couldn't quite grasp as they walked out of the banquet hall in silence.

Lina looked up from her food for a second and realized, "they all left." Again she considered investigating. With all the strange occurrences happening recently, the story of a beast that Beast Master wanted to capture alive was too suspicious to be ignored... but the food was too delicious to be ignored. Surely the others would be observant enough of the situation, she would ask about it later. Right now she had more important business to tend to. "That's mine!" Important business such as preventing Gourry from eating her chicken. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Amelia ventured into the Zoana castle's royal courtyard, where she heard a commotion, with Zelgadis levitating close behind her. She still held little Zoamelgustar in her arms, confident that she could protect him, though she would retreat to safety if things were too intense. 

"Where did he go?" Martina's voice was heard from beyond a row of thorny bushes with black roses. "Split up and find him!" Footsteps followed as Martina and the guards ran off to continue their search. 

Amelia was about to fly over the tall bushes, when she heard some rustling in them. "There's something there," Zelgadis stood in front of her with a defensive stance. He was glad the group had stopped at a shop on their way there and provided him with a sword. It was a regular sword, but he could make it better. "Astral vine!"

"What in the world could be hiding in there?" Amelia thought aloud. The bushes were heavy with thorns, it would be a very painful hiding place. 

Suddenly, a figure jumped from the bushes and the sword the being held collided with Zelgadis'. Peculiarly, that blade also had astral vine cast on it. Amelia's eyes widened in shock as she observed the creature. Zelgadis didn't seem to recognize the being, but she did. Between the werewolf patches of fur, she saw a familiar face, the face of Zelgadis himself. The werewolf's clothes were torn in various places, but there was no blood, as if his skin was resistant enough to prevent any injuries he could get from the thorns. 

Amelia stood back as the blades clashed against each other. The werewolf had a lost fierce look in his eyes, as if he couldn't think clearly, but in battle he reacted skillfully. The pair was evenly matched. Amelia wasn't sure what this was about, but that beast, that werewolf, he was somehow connected to Zelgadis. She was determined to find out more about that, even if she had to drag the beast to Wolf Pack Island and demand answers. But she couldn't risk Zoamelgustar, she could either protect him or catch the beast, not both, so for now she needed to retreat.

"Found it!" Xellos and Filia arrived on the scene simultaneously and pointed at the werewolf creature. They glared at each other as if declaring with their fierce looks, 'I saw them first!'

"Good, you're here, protect Zoamelgustar!" Amelia gave them the baby.

"Weren't you supposed to be protecting him back in the banquet hall?" Filia questioned.

"There's no better protectors than a monster and a dragon." The Seyruun princess quickly made up a silly excuse, that didn't make a whole lot of sense, even to her. Xellos and Filia could only blink in confusion and accept her reasoning. Amelia saw that in terms of swordplay the two parts of Zelgadis were evenly matched, but the merman was noticeably more tired from levitating all the time. 

Just as the merman's strength was about to give out from magical exhaustion, Amelia rushed forward. "Recovery!"

"Thanks for the energy," the merman continued fighting back.

However, Amelia took him by surprise again. She wasn't going to hang back and let him keep fighting. "Hey you!" The werewolf's animal ears twitched, he was being challenged. "Pay attention!" Amelia demanded. "Let go of your wrongful ways and rejoin the side of justice!"

The werewolf looked annoyed. "What are you doing? Don't try to get his attention!" The merman began to cast some shamanistic magic, but Amelia vigorously shook her head at him and stepped forward. He couldn't attack now, not with her standing so close to the beast, or she would get caught in the blast too. 

The werewolf looked like it would attack Amelia, but she caught a hint of something in his eyes akin to recognition and he paused. Then she took the opportunity to plant a kiss on his lips. The merman's jaw dropped and his body went limp. His concentration was lost and with the levitation undone, he flopped to the ground like a fish out of water. As they parted, the werewolf looked stunned, but somehow calmed. He held on to Amelia, he was confused, but he knew he had to hold on to this woman.

"Love tamed the beast..." Filia sighed dreamily and Xellos cleared his throat next to her. She pretended the dreamy expression never happened and looked disgusted. "Love, gross!"

"You're leaving me for that?" The merman finally found his voice; though he was still on the ground as if he didn't care if he stayed there. "If it was a normal man I'd understand, but that thing?"

The werewolf growled at being called a thing and Amelia gently soothed him. "You're the same," her opening statement only elicited an offended frown from the merman. The princess elaborated. "What I mean is that you're the same person. I don't know how you ended up part fish and him part wolf, probably because of Zelas and Dolphin I would guess. I don't know what kind of things they might have done, but I know you're both parts of the same being."

Something seemed to be pried loose in the merman's memories. For some reason, the idea of being split into separate creatures wasn't as impossible as it should be. Against all sense and logic, if there was a shred of that still left in his life, he found that he could believe this. "I believe you... but what now?"

"We'll have to go see Beast Master," Amelia decided. It was a dangerous determination, but she would follow it through. "Miss Filia, please take us to Miss Zelas!"

"If you're that determined, I guess I could ask if Lord Beast Master has a moment to spare," Filia greed. She gave baby Zoamelgustar to Xellos. "You can stay here with the baby."

"Wait! I want to see Beast Master too!" Xellos protested.

Filia pouted, "when this is over, I'll take you to her, but not now." Then when it was over, she would come up with an excuse not to take him.

"I want to go now!" Xellos insisted, his voice raising in volume. "I have to see her, I have to see Zelas!"

"Why?" Filia argued in a shout and Zoamelgustar giggled.

"I don't..." Xellos paused, recovering himself. "A secret, it's a secret I need to solve."

Filia frowned in exasperation. Zangulus entered the scene and found the gathering to be quite odd. He looked at the beast, who was like a puppy with Amelia. Zelgadis, whose robes had rolled up a little when he fell, was sitting on the ground with fins where he should have feet. Then suddenly, Filia declared, "fine!" and his son, who shouldn't even be out there, was placed in Zangulus' arms.

Zelgadis the merman recasted levitation and scooted closer to the group, intent on tagging along. Xellos and Filia joined Amelia and Zelgadis the werewolf and Filia teleported them to Wolf Pack Island. All in all Zangulus felt lost with what was going on. The only thing he could be certain of was that he had been beaten to the capture of the beast.

xoxox xox xoxox

Filia, Xellos, Amelia and the two Zelgadis reappeared at Wolf Pack Island, in front of the entrance to the underground palace, hidden beneath the island's fierce wild surface. "I'm going to ask Beast Master if she can see you now. Stay here, don't touch anything and wait quietly until I return. Don't come in until I say it's okay!" Amelia and the merman nodded in understanding, the beast growled and sniffed the air curiously, while Xellos did nothing except continue smiling his usual smile. After giving Xellos another suspicious glance, Filia disappeared again, off to inquire of Beast Master.

Silence reigned over the group, until Xellos took a few curious steps away from the entrance. He looked around the island, feeling as if he had been there before. It was all so very familiar. Amelia wondered if she should tell him to stay with the group, but figured that even if he had no memories of it, this was his home, so he should be alright exploring a little bit by himself. Xellos went a little further, noting that no one had tried to stop him. He glanced at Amelia who only smiled, then kept going a little further away. A large black wolf with golden eyes approached. Xellos wondered if she would attack him, but she didn't. In fact, she was rather friendly. More curious still, Xellos followed the wolf and went to have a closer look around the island.

A few minutes later, Filia returned and found that only Amelia and the two Zelgadis were waiting there. "Beast Master will see you now... Where is Xellos?"

"He's looking around the island," Amelia replied calmly. She entered the palace arm in arm with the two Zelgadis left and right of her, leaving a shocked and worried Filia standing in the doorway.

'He's exploring on his own?' The thought was too nonsensical, too suicidal, to fully compute for Filia. 'That stupid piece of raw garbage is going to get himself killed!' She hurried off to find Xellos before she had nothing but dragon bones to find in his place.

To be Continued


	11. Chapter 11

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 031: Combined! To Be As One

Amelia walked inside Zelas' palace, following the torches of blue lights that lit up down the elegant hallways, arm in arm with the two Zelgadis'. She entered the throne room, the large heavy doors opening for them by themselves. A heavy aura floated around the throne where Zelas sat on the royal chair with Celo and Vrumugun standing left and right of her. This was the original Vrumugun, who had been present at Zangulus and Martina's wedding and remained with them to rebuild Zoana afterwards. He was usually at Zoana, but had journeyed to Wolf Pack Island at Zelas' summoning, as he was told she had a job for him to perform that would require the knowledge he had gained from working with Eris years prior.

Amelia tried not to show her surprise at finding Vrumugun there, it shouldn't be surprising given his connections with Zoana. She let go of the two Zelgadis and stepped forward towards the monster lord. The merman levitated attentively and the beast was strangely calm. "Lord Beast Master," Amelia spoke bravely and daringly, yet with diplomatic respect. "I, Amelia Will Tesla Seyruun, humbly ask you to return Zelgadis' mind to normal and if possible, cleanse him as much as you can of his chimera condition, as I know that is his wish."

"Very well," Zelas agreed easily, which left Amelia dumbstruck. "Believe it or not this result was not intentional. I thought that having Dolphin assist me would make things easier, but tearing a chimera apart is still quite difficult. Magic and its branch of alchemy requires understanding. Talismans, spells and rituals can be used to bypass such an understanding to an extent and the same can be said for raw power. However, it is only a cheap shortcut in the end and when the intended result is particularly complex, the process might not give the wanted outcome. We're reaching into the darkness, trying to grab something that we know as a whole concept, but we know not what its components may be." 

Zelas continued thoughtfully. "If there was a way to record accurate knowledge of every tiny piece that composes the body, down to a level that is so small that the naked eye cannot perceive it, perhaps separating a chimera into its original components wouldn't be such a hassle. It is the use of magical shortcuts to make up for that lack of super advanced understanding that involves the subject's mind and causes side effects, such as this, with the extra energy needed to compensate the process."

"Oh..." Amelia quietly voiced. "Then you really had no ill will towards Zelgadis, this outcome was an accident? Separating a chimera, knowing how the body works down to the last detail... Not even the best alchemists and physicians of our time have that kind of knowledge; it remains as of yet to be discovered. The monsters have no physical bodies, so they would have little reasons or means to do research of their own. This knowledge, the knowledge needed to conduct this alchemic process without those shortcuts, it hasn't been developed yet." Even so, after hearing such an explanation, Amelia was filled with hope. "But it could be," she asserted. "Decades ago the use of herbs to heal was something that was still being developed. What we know as the present day medicine was a far away dream back then. Maybe some day we'll advance enough to understand the workings of the body down to the last detail. We'll know why blood flows and all the twists and turns air takes within our bodies every time we breathe."

"Yet it will take a long time. It may be something I will see but you won't." Zelas pointed out, glad to communicate the pessimistic news.

"Yes," Amelia admitted with a frown. "We'll just have to make due with what we have for the time being. Parting the pieces of a chimera is hard because all the elements that make up a living being are jumbled together and difficult to identify, but putting the pieces together without having to worry about the small elements, simply uniting everything, isn't so hard, right?"

"It's like mixing sand and water," Zelas compared. "Anyone can make a muddy mess, but it would take a lot to separate the sand from the water all over again. Zelgadis can be made the way he was. In fact, my power isn't even needed for the union, thus a gentler approach by Celo and Vrumugun would be preferable. Not that my or Dolphin's power was directly involved. There is no monster energy in Zelgadis, the pieces took on those forms because some of the talismans incrusted into the jar functioned strangely and took to interpreting Dolphin and I as we would be if we were physical beings. Then somehow, they rewrote Zelgadis' into that. Albeit that rewrite is far too unstable to experiment with and very likely a direct attempt would be too harsh. Another separation attempt is out of the question, Zelgadis composition is frailer than I had initially thought and we wouldn't want his soul to be damaged. It would be similar to a monster's demise then, being ruined in a sense."

"Of course, we must be careful..." Amelia nodded with concern, trying not to show she was bothered by Zelas' uncaring and nonchalant tone as she spoke of Zelgadis. None the less, even if Zelas didn't seem to care, she was showing caution about Zelgadis life.

The detail was something that the more aware Zelgadis, the merman, noticed and inquired about, unable to hold back his question. "Why would you care if I live or die?" He boldly asked.

Zelas grinned, "I have my reasons, I always do. Right now it is in my best interest to keep you alive. Shall I fix this failed attempt at your cure? Do not forget, I haven't truly lied to you. The remnant memories that you left behind in the jar will attest to the fact that I warned you."

There was a silent pause while Zelgadis mulled over his options. He didn't want to stay as a merman, but he didn't want to be a bigger freak. Finally, Amelia answered for him. "Those memories you speak of, they can't be contain intact for long, can they?"

"No, even with a top quality container, they will eventually deteriorate as it occurred to Rezo's memories during his time in a similar jar, albeit at least his soul was basically whole, while Zelgadis' mind is split. We must put him together swiftly," Zelas declared.

Amelia nodded sad and worried. "What if I hadn't come here? What if...?" She didn't know how to phrase her feelings and she knew it would be useless to try to explain them to a monster lord. The loss of a life made her realize just how fragile and precious life was.

"I would have sent for you." Zelas assured and when Amelia looked into her piercing eyes, she knew it to be true.

"Miss Zelas," Amelia's eyes shone with innocent hope again. "Could it be that you really are trying to be good?"

"No," Zelas immediately denied the ridiculous notion. "I have dealt with relative kindness towards Zelgadis, or as kindly as a monster lord can. Return the favor; cause your friends to join you if you need their assistance. I know you are the right person to whom to entrust this request. If Xellos is ever in dire need of assistance, provide him with it."

The silver of Zelas' piercing and cunning gaze was reflected in Amelia's big blue eyes. The monster lord knew something. She knew of something perilous and was preparing for it. "Miss Zelas...?"

"Is my request unacceptable to you?" Anyone would be a suicidal idiot to refuse the occasion of a rare mercy from Beast Master and a seemingly generous mercy apparently. 

"I will return the favor." Amelia finally agreed, even though she didn't exactly know what she was agreeing to and wanted to be cautious about that. "What I am promising to do," she carefully specified. "Is to offer the support of a friend should it be needed, by my own standards of what such a promise would justly represent."

"Splendid," sarcasm and truth had never mixed so well before as when the time when Beast Master spoke that word. Why such support was important to Zelas and what she was trying to prepare for, Amelia didn't know. As for Zelas, after she had stopped focusing on the possibility of Dolphin as her would-be enemy, she teamed up with her and soon after with Dynast and they put their minds and resources together to figure out what was going on. 

Though the situation was still unclear, one thing was for sure, the attack was set to go off soon and they were helpless against the massive power that loomed in the shadows. The dragons couldn't have come up with such a power out of nowhere, so Zelas reasoned that there were several likely explanations. Either they broke a few dozen rules of the principals of their society and struck a deal, or most likely, they were tricked into cooperating, perhaps even threatened. Beast Master would fall, they would all fall. Right now, all she could do was to survive and come back from behind. Her monsters were not her only resources; she had Xellos' pet dragon, Lina Inverse and her friends. They were not willing allies, but they would suffice. Amelia would give them a push with her innocent mercy and hope if need be. 

"Shall we begin?" Celo smiled in a very similar way to Xellos, they were related after all. "Let us go over to the laboratory. I believe you've met Mr. Vrumugun before? He and I will be overseeing this process."

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, in the surface of Wolf Pack Island, "Xellos!" Filia called out as she saw a pack of wolves grouped together over their apparent pray, whose tail, the only visible part of him beyond the wolves, was being chewed on by a cub. "Don't hurt him!" She was about to attack the wolves to save Xellos, hoping he was still alive and thinking he was an idiot for not transforming to escape, when she heard laughter. "Xellos?"

"Ha ha ha, okay, okay, get off, he he he, you got me, quit it, ha ha ha!" The wolves finally moved aside with the cubs playing with Xellos' tail and the larger wolves laying next to him. He finally had the chance to sit up on the ground and other than some wolf spit from being licked affectionately, that he wiped off with his cloak, he was unharmed. His clothes were a bit dirty from being on the ground and his staff had been turned into a chew toy, but he had no real injuries. Noticing Filia standing there with her mouth agape, he waved her over.

As if in a trance, Filia approached Xellos and sat next to him. A wolf soon occupied her lap, just as they were doing with Xellos, wanting to be petted. "They like you?" Filia had no choice but to admit her stunned realization.

"So it would seem," Xellos agreed with a grin. "I'm not too surprised though, you like me too."

"What?" Filia stammered and blushed, why wasn't her astral form doing what she told it to do? "I don't like you." Were her feelings truly so strong that she couldn't hide them?

"Really?" Xellos opened one eye in a strange sort of wink.

Filia pouted, blushing still and looked away. "Maybe just a little bit," she conceded. "I've realized that the world's a big an interesting place, humans are intense and capable creatures even if they are not often given much credit by non-humans. I've also concluded that not all dragons are repulsive." She had awakened to the world and no longer locked herself in a set mind frame. "That doesn't mean I like you a lot," she defended, though she knew she was lying. "I only like you a little bit, in a purely platonic way."

"Platonic?" Xellos questioned curious and teasing. "How is it platonic if I'm sitting here right next to you?"

"It's forbidden," Filia tried to explain, but her excuse felt weak.

"Don't monsters break the rules?" Xellos reminded. "Besides, I don't see you falling over in pain. It doesn't seem that your liking for me is having much of an adverse effect on you."

"I suppose there are exceptions and I am a powerful monster. Maybe I've just reached a higher evolution or something," Filia mused. She didn't care much about the explanation, which may or may not be in her missing memories. She had not thought about her missing memories much lately. All that she could focus on was the present and the glaringly obvious fact that she enjoyed Xellos' company and that maybe, in his own way, he enjoyed her company too.

"Isn't that the reason for the rules though?" Xellos pointed out.

"Maybe... in my case anyway." She brought up another point. "What about you? You're a golden dragon and you don't seem to have much of an acknowledgement of rules. What if your elder is disappointed in you?"

Xellos shrugged, "I get the impression that Milgazia is pretty lax under his diplomatic surface. I don't think he'll do anything too extreme. He'll give me a speech about being careful with monsters maybe, but I'm sure he'll respect my choices after the lecture."

"I see," Filia blushed as she considered that perhaps there was nothing to stand in their way should they choose to pursue a relationship after all. 

Then Xellos brought up a very important point. "All that's left is Beast Master."

"Oh," Filia frowned. "She'll be angry at me if I show any favor to a dragon."

"Have you asked her?" Xellos inquired, guessing correctly that the answer would be a negative one.

"Of course not!" Filia exclaimed. "Why would I ask her such a thing? It's not like I, the dragon slayer," her voice failed her for a moment, why did that name sound so wrong to her all of a sudden? "Was expecting this..."

"But you haven't slain any dragons recently," Xellos pointed out.

"I almost slew you," Filia laughed bitterly. She didn't want to think about missing all of this if she had. Her feelings, the feelings that she shouldn't even have as a monster, were so confusing, yet so intense, so precious. They were complicated and sometimes painful, but they made her feel so alive. "I'm glad I didn't," she admitted. "Could you overlook my actions from the War of the Monsters Fall?"

"I can, especially given the fact that I didn't even exist back then." Xellos' reply was inaccurate, but to the best of his knowledge he was a golden dragon who had just barely entered the first stage of young adulthood, so he must be over five hundred, but not yet a thousand years old.

"What about my future missions? Beast Master might order me to do things you don't like." It was strange, but Filia felt a heavy sense of deja vu. It made no sense, yet she strongly felt that she had this conversation before, except the roles were reversed.

"I can understand that." How odd, the sense of deja vu that Xellos felt kept growing in intensity by the second. Yet at the same time, this was different, it was someone else in his shoes, like a reversal of roles. Filia sighed, frowning suddenly. "What's wrong now, stupid monster?"

"I don't think I'll get Beast Master's permission, raw garbage," Filia grimaced. "I can't sneak around behind her back, she notices everything. What explanation will I give her then? If she orders me to cut communications with you, I must obey. If I don't she might even order me to kill you."

"I don't think having an unhappy minion is good for any monster lord," Xellos stated. "Lesser monsters switch sides sometimes. The turn over is pretty bad, they go back and forth aiding what causes they think suits them best. They go to Beast Master for some action where they get to strategize and train. They go to Dynast for some rest where the humans are manipulated into wars and do most of the work themselves. They go to Dolphin for some middle ground between the two others. As long as they don't do anything too traitorous, deserters are received because it would be terribly inconvenient to refuse them and wasteful to exterminate them if their crime was not too significant. Plus they are serving the monster race as a whole anyway. The higher positions that command more power, like you, are expected to be loyal of course." 

Xellos continued, "Beast Master has invested in many forces, not only the forces of darkness; she has a varied and versatile army, even though the forces of darkness are still the main part of it, naturally. Some may not like it, but the benefits outweigh the complaints of the doubtful. A few monsters may come and go in the lower ranks, but in the grander scheme of things, for the most part they are not a threat when they leave and may be somewhat useful, if only a little, when they return, so it's okay to be a tad lenient in such cases. As for you, I don't think Beast Master wants a general priestess that's miserable and listens to her only out of fear. The stress and the self doubt would be bad for you. It would diminish your power, make you less effective and ultimately be bad for Zelas too. A monster's identity, their sense of self, is the most precious thing they have, without it, a monster would vanish. Any creature, astral or physical, that has a sense of self has likes and dislikes, goals and desires; I think Beast Master understands that. I think that if you prove it won't interfere with your work, she can allow you certain indulgences as long as you wisely practice moderation."

Filia was in shock. What Xellos said made sense, she knew he could be rather insightful and it was one of the qualities she liked about him when he wasn't being too much of a smart-aleck about it. Even so, this was too much. "How do you know all that?"

It wasn't doubt that she was expressing, Xellos realized. Filia was simply surprised by his assessment of Zelas. It was as if he knew her much better than she and somehow he felt like he did, even if that would make no sense. He grinned and replied, "that is a secret." As Filia's face started to be overtaken by exasperation, he elaborated. "It is part of the secret that I would like to solve. I feel that I know Beast Master even if I shouldn't. I want to see her, I want to hear what she will say to me, I want to know why she seemed so familiar during our short meeting that time at Sairaag."

"It's like your closer to her than I am," Filia mused. "It's like she's your mother instead of mine... But how would monsters interpret such concepts anyway? Minion and master, it's different from child and parent, yet there is something there, something unique." She looked at Xellos' face and he momentarily opened both eyes. "We're a strange pair, aren't we? I feel that I know more about dragons than you and you obviously know more about monsters than me. How could that be?"

"Perhaps Beast Master holds the answer to that," Xellos suggested and closed his eyes again. "As soon as possible, when Zelas is done with her audience with Amelia and Zelgadis, I want to see her."

Filia nodded, accepting the plan, "I'll take you to her, we'll speak to her together." Filia's worries evaporated. Xellos was a dragon, but he was special. If he was there with her, everything would work out somehow.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 032: Broken! Picking Up The Pieces

When Xellos and Filia initially attempted to request an audience with Zelas, they were informed by Fang that she was busy. "Of course, she is still tending to Amelia and Zelgadis, right?" Filia theorized.

"Nope," the monster fox chimera replied, he was currently in his semi-human form. "Celo and Vrumugun are taking care of that. Zelgadis was broken in three, but the third part was all memories, kind of like astral, and the spell didn't work out so the pieces couldn't communicate. Anyway, that's being fixed now. Beast Master is still busy though; Val sent for me with Jarde and asked me to bring him here. He's talking to her now so we need to wait."

"I see," Filia voiced. She approached the throne room door but didn't open it, instead trying to listen to what was being spoken. Fang looked at her curiously, but made no motion to stop her. Instead he went over to Xellos and transformed into his fox form, nudging his hand with his head to be petted.

"Wasn't Val the ancient dragon?" Xellos asked as he petted Fang on the head.

"The one you were supposed to be taking care of," Filia spoke unsure. 

Xellos didn't think that was accurate. Many theories have come and gone regarding him, but it was all a jumbled up mess of contradictions. Perhaps the boy was with Milgazia? But that didn't sound accurate either, then why would he willingly go to Zelas. Filled with the same curiosity that overtook Filia, Xellos leaned against the door, pressing his pointy ear to it and listened.

xoxox xox xoxox

Inside Zelas' throne room, Val pouted profusely and gave Zelas his most convincing sad kitten look. The monster lord groaned, "I don't need this now, boy. Your unwavering loyalty and adoration is or will be in the long run useful and thus I appreciate it, in my own way, but I am honestly not in the mood to humor you by accepting your childish adoration of me at this precise moment in time. I'm in a foul mood because of what is to come, little one, go home and play."

Val shook his head. "I don't feel good and I wanted to see you. You're strong and smart, I thought that..."

"That I would make you feel secure?" Zelas chuckled ironically. "Dragons really are stupid. Boy, you've realized what I am, haven't you? You are young, but you are smart, perhaps more so because this is not the first time you've lived."

Val tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You'd best forget about that past, it is inconsequential now and if you do one day remember it and consider it to be of consequence, if you cannot move on from it, it will be your undoing. Vengeance will not be an easy task for you," Zelas warned.

"I don't want to take revenge on anyone," Val insisted. "I don't understand, but I don't think I would want to hurt anyone even if I did."

"A mutually convenient mind frame," Zelas determined.

Val would only get more confused by continuing the current conversation, so instead he return to the previous topic, the reason why he was there, having left without telling Jillas, Gravos or anyone. He didn't intend to take too long anyway and Fang could teleport him back to Seyruun swiftly. "I have a very bad feeling, something is going to happen, I don't know what, but something."

"Yes," Zelas agreed. "I might as well tell you, since you will know. Come here," she beckoned. Val ran over to the throne where Zelas picked him up and allowed him to sit on her lap. She then whispered quietly into his ear so that no one else could hear, as she was perfectly aware of the eavesdroppers. "I will be summoned far away and I will not be able to resist the call. There is nothing I can do to stop it, but one way or another, I will return."

Val's big golden innocent eyes looked at Zelas with puzzlement. "You're strong and smart; you'll be okay, right?"

"Of course," Zelas assured; maybe more so for herself than for Val. "The game is set to shift soon, even if a battle is lost, the war shall be won."

"Will you tell me a story?" Val requested. "The bad guys always win in your stories, but they're still interesting."

His childish affection really was an annoying little background noise, but the loyalty and attachment that came with it was in the long run useful enough as he was the last ancient dragon. Given that, Zelas would play along, perhaps she could push back her foul mood and humor little Val after all. "Once upon a time, there was a prosperous kingdom. One day, an evil king from a land far away attacked the kingdom and overtook it. Only the young prince remained after the disaster. The prince grew bitter and with the passing of time, managed to round up some forces and storm the overtaken castle that was once his. He killed the evil king and became the new king, as it was his birthright. However, all the hardships he endured and all the bitterness stayed with him and the prince turned out to be a much more evil king than the invader had been."

Val wasn't surprised that the story took on a gloomy turn and ended badly. Well at least the prince got his kingdom back, though it was too bad he had to turn out so evil. This was the kind of stories Zelas told though, they didn't end happily, but at least they were entertaining. Val smiled at her, "thanks for the story. I'll go home now," she nodded in response and he jumped down from her lap. Val walked a few steps and turned back to look at Zelas again, "promise you'll be okay?"

"Sure," it was such an insignificant word to a monster lord. Naturally, she would be trying her hardest to win, and in the end, a silly promise to a foolish little dragon wouldn't make a difference to her, yet it seemed to make a difference to Val. It filled him with baseless reassurance, it was so stupid. It was a strange custom that originated with humans with cliche requests such as 'promise me you'll be okay.' Unless the creature in question was feeling suicidal, he or she would already be trying their best to 'be okay,' promise or not, and promise or not, the circumstances would still play out the same way. She could have ignored the idiocy of it all, but as Val waited expectantly, unsatisfied with her answer, Zelas realized how much it meant to him and how much of a benefit to her in the long run it would be to humor him now. "I promise, Val."

Val smiled, feeling a baseless relief already. Satisfied with the reply, he walked a few more steps closer to the door behind which Fang was waiting. "Fang!" 

Val saw no reason why Fang wouldn't come in with him, but the fox was used to the protocol that sometimes took place, escorting guests in and waiting at the door, guarding it to prevent intruders, thus acting automatically. Eavesdroppers would normally also be prevented, but not those two, as Fang was familiar enough with them to assume they wouldn't misbehave for Beast Master. The monster fox chimera teleported beyond the door, leaving it closed, and approached Val.

Val was amused, seeing Fang in his fox form again and with a fit of giggles climbed on his back. "Bye, aunty Zelas! Please take me home now Fang." They promptly disappeared in a teleportation back to Seyruun.

As soon as they were gone, Zelas called out, loud enough for Filia and Xellos to clearly hear. "You can come in now eavesdroppers."

The pair straightened automatically, moving away from the door in an instinctual futile attempt to pretend they weren't spying. Then finally, Filia opened the door and they went inside. She shifted uncomfortably in front of Beast Master, while Xellos beside her gave the monster lord a curious look. "Lord Beast Master..." Filia began to voice an explanation, or rather try to explain, except she wasn't sure what to say. "About this dragon I've brought... um... he... er... I... um..."

"He's your lover?" Zelas inquired nonchalant.

Filia's face turned scarlet. "What? No!" She desperately denied it.

Xellos chuckled and Filia glared at him, how dare he chuckle? "Something like that," he teased.

"Liar! Stop kidding around, you're in the presence of Lord Beast Master!" Filia scolded in embarrassment. 

"Right, of course, my mistake, how dare I make such an assumption?" Zelas voiced in sarcasm. Even if the big picture's situation had her in a bad mood, maybe what she needed was to allow herself some amusement. "You have better taste than this, right Xellos? This specimen is simply too hideous."

"Oh yes!" Xellos played along in amusement, while Filia watched on in shock. "She's astral too, so this means she has very bad taste."

"Indeed," Zelas laughed. "Well then, make yourself comfortable in the palace, Xellos. All the answers that you seek shall come to you soon. Allow Celo to finish his business with Vrumugun first and then when it is time to move on to the next phase, we shall."

"Alright, I thank you for your hospitality." Xellos put his arm around Filia. "Aren't you going to give me a tour? I'm curious to see what your room looks like," he winked. "Oh but I didn't mean it like that, so don't get me wrong," he teased.

Filia's mouth opened and closed like a fish. She was unable to find any words or even react to the fact that Xellos' arm was around her waist, though her mind very clearly registered it, she just couldn't do anything about it. Finally, she stuttered a silent, "excuse me, Lord Beast Master," and teleported herself and Xellos. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos and Filia reappeared in her room at Wolf Pack Island, which was actually his room. "This is your room?" He inquired playfully and the still shocked Filia could only nod in unsure affirmation. "It's purple, I like it. I like Beast Master too, she's so evil but so fun, intimidating yet sarcastic, she's great!"

"A dragon shouldn't say that..." Filia finally got her voice to function properly after the shock. "But you're not an ordinary dragon and I'm not an ordinary monster. I guess we'll have to wait a little longer for our answers. At least it's good to know they're close."

"Yes," Xellos agreed, very close.

Filia let out a breath and rested her head on Xellos shoulder. She realized what she was doing and tried to step away, but Xellos was holding her in place. She looked at his face and saw that he had both eyes open; it was a rare occasion for him. If Beast Master was okay with this, then maybe... her line of thought ended when their lips met.

xoxox xox xoxox

A little later, at the experimentation laboratory area at Zelas' palace... "This is ridiculous!" The separated parts of Zelgadis had been arranged into one. His memories were back to normal too, but he wasn't happy with his new tail. Wolf-fish tail aside, he looked the same as before. "At least my face was human when I was a merman, even if walking was very inconvenient," more like impossible really. "Why is this here?" He pointed at the tail that was a strange combination between wolf and fish. It started out like the tail of a wolf, the fur giving way to scales for a fish shape at the end.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but the extra elements had to go somewhere." Celo pointed out with his ever polite tone.

"It could have been worse," Vrumugun's comment made Zelgadis shudder.

"No more deals with monsters," he told himself firmly. Then he looked at Amelia who watched him with great relief despite the state of his appearance. He was a chimera again, just like before, only with a tail. "I'm sorry; I caused trouble for you again. It seems that's all I can ever do..."

Amelia hugged him lovingly. "It's okay, I should have stopped you. It's alright now, I'm just glad to have you back. No more experiments, alright? You're just fine the way you are, end of story."

Zelgadis sighed, "I really don't deserve you..."

"We've been over this, Zel." Amelia gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then looked into his eyes. "That is something for me to decide," and she had made her choice.

xoxox xox xoxox

A short while later, Vrumugun left Wolf Pack Island, returning to Zoana, teleported by Fang. Celo left Amelia and Zelgadis alone for a moment and reported to Beast Master at her throne room. After hearing his report, "Xellos! Filia!" Zelas' voice was heard echoing through Wolf Pack Island, summoning the odd pair back to her throne room. 

Filia teleported herself and Xellos to Beast Master's throne room, her face still somewhat flustered. She didn't mentally berate herself for getting romantic with a dragon this time, or with anyone for that matter. She might have been a monster, but if her master didn't scold her for her actions, actions which felt very right, then why would she reprimand herself? "Yes, Lord Beast Master?"

"The amulet," Zelas requested. 

There was a pause until Filia realized that Zelas was referring to the amethyst necklace she was wearing. "Oh, yes," the general priestess made herself focus on the present task at hand and removed the necklace that was charged with chaotic energy. "I wish I could have collected more..."

Zelas made no comment about the amount of chaotic energy in the necklace, instead prompting her human monster chimera minion to examine it, "Celo."

Celo took the necklace from Filia and held it in his right hand, brushing his thumb over the smooth surface of the deep purple jewel. "This will suffice to perform the rendezvous as planned. Lord Beast Master, must we wait? I would feel more comfortable following you immediately."

"You won't be able to follow me either way." Beast Master reminded, hinting at something that she and Celo knew, but Xellos and Filia didn't.

"You know what I mean, milady," Xellos rose an eyebrow at Celo's words. His subconscious knew that Celo only referred to Zelas as milady instead of Lord Beast Master when his human side was feeling particularly melancholic, though he held no memories of such knowledge beyond the subconscious perception. Thus Xellos made no comment and simply observed the situation quietly along with Filia.

"I do know," Zelas considered, "or maybe not, she mused. "It will be no concern of yours when-"

"Milady, please!" Celo dared to interrupt and Filia gave him a strange look. She didn't think he was the kind of minion who dared to interrupt his master. 

Zelas chuckled, "fear not, I do understand. Your human side is strong, you wish to live on, you wish for me to live on and what happens at your end does concern you very much. That is so very human, they live short lives, but they are not soon forgotten. They spend their existence trying to become immortalized, only to lose themselves and end up chasing the benefit of another. It is complex, but I understand the basic theory. I do not doubt your loyalty to me, Celo."

"Or..." he prompted hopefully.

Zelas decided to humor him, "or your undying affection, child. I will remember it until I fully understand it." Feel it, doubtfully, she was a monster who didn't feel much beyond the satisfaction of her own cunning ways, but she would remember and she would understand, if only for the intellectual challenge of figuring out the depth of emotions without having to take drastic measures that, possible benefits aside, would change her. No, she wouldn't change, she would stay the same, but she would know everything there was to know, especially about humans and their intriguing ways. 

It was silly for a grown man to be called child, a monster human chimera who had lived for centuries. Yet he appreciated it and held on to that hope that Beast Master did understand what his willing sacrifice meant for him. It was for his mother's sake, it wouldn't feel right if she didn't understand. She would remember and she would know, that was enough for him, he wouldn't be forgotten and that was something precious. "Thank you, Lord Beast Master, it is a pleasure to serve you," he was calmer now. "There is no way to change your mind though, is there?"

"Those who follow me will fall, leave survival to me alone, what I cannot do, none of you can do. There is no use in wasting resources that will be precious, even vital later. We shall rendezvous as planned, I shall fight strongly until then and I will win," Zelas assured.

"I believe in you." Celo vowed and disappeared, teleporting off to put his previously discussed plans into action.

Zelas turned her attention to the perplexed monster and dragon that stood before her. "Game over," she declared with a smirk that held a hidden bitterness coated with confidence. "The battle is lost, but the war has only just begun. Filia, for your final task as my general priestess, bring me Lina Inverse and her companion Gourry, I want the whole team assembled for this."

"My final task?" Filia didn't like the sound of that.

Zelas laughed at her worry, "I do not intend to take your life, silly creature, I will restore to you the life you had before. Now go let us have our last reunion before the war."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master." Filia still had no idea what was going on and her imagination was going wild with theories. She wanted to know more about that life she had before, which apparently Zelas was willing to return to her. She needed to know and she could hardly wait. Filia teleported away quickly, back to Zoana where she hoped to find Lina and Gourry.

Xellos was left alone with Zelas in the throne room. "Lord Beast Master..." he wasn't sure how to express what he was thinking and if he even should. Yet the feeling of deja vu was so heavy, he felt like he could and should speak everything that was in his mind to this monster lord. It was like a distant memory of a time when he stood there telling her many things. It was a pleasant memory that didn't fit with his background as a golden dragon, but it was a good illusion none the less, except it wasn't an illusion, it had been real.

"Yes?" Zelas prompted, somewhat curious.

"All of this is rather unsettling," Xellos finally commented.

"It is," Zelas agreed. "You will understand everything soon, Xellos." She paused, musing over her words. "Do not forget that a true beast never really falls. You'll have to be strong." He would have to be strong, reliable, cunning and loyal, among other things, adaptable. If her desperate contingency plan failed, then all would be lost for her... and for the world.

"I am strong." Even so, in the deepest corners of his mind, Xellos wondered what she meant. Was he strong enough to face what she would soon reveal?

"Never doubt that." Zelas ominously advised, leaving dread and foreboding hanging heavily in the air. Xellos could only nod in silence. The negative feelings were so thick that it felt as if hope had no place in them. Yet there would have to be hope, even if it was barely perceptible at all, it had to exist in a small hidden hint disguised as wrathful courage. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 033: Conference! A Time For Revelations

Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis were currently at the surface of Wolf Pack Island. "I can't believe Martina behaved like that," Lina frowned. "So what if we cleaned out the royal kitchen, it was her duty as a hostess to feed us! She didn't have to throw such a fit!" They had been in the middle of that argument when Filia arrived to get them.

"I didn't have time to spar with Zangulus," Gourry pouted in disappointment. 

"I would be more concerned about what Zelas wants," Lina commented. She eyed Zelgadis in questioning.

Zelgadis had already explained how he recovered his previous chimera form, plus a tail, along with his memories. "I don't know, but she's definitely up to something."

Amelia petted the wolf that was on her lap, they were all settled into a grassy patch on the ground, with the wolves lounging about like puppies. "I guess we'll find out soon, she mentioned we should wait for her here."

"Until she took care of business with Xellos and Filia," Lina recalled. "I wonder if that means she's going to change them back. But if that's the case, then the time of preparation for whatever is to come might have already ended," and she didn't feel at all ready.

xoxox xox xoxox

Simultaneously, at Zelas' throne room, the monster lord stood and took a few steps forward before Xellos and Filia. Speaking in a voice that was both commanding and elegant, she declared. "Xellos Metallium and Filia Ul Copt," Beast Master addressed them by their true names, which filled their already puzzled minds with more questions. She lifted the amethyst necklace which Celo had emptied of all the chaotic energy it had collected, transferring it to a different vessel for safe keeping. "I hereby break the pact between you and return you to what you once were!" She crushed the purple jewel in her hand, easily reducing it to dust.

Dark, golden and violet lights surrounded Xellos and Filia as they were returned to how they used to be. The process left them unconscious while their memories settled in and were sorted in their minds, but other than that, they were alright.

xoxox xox xoxox

By the time Xellos and Filia woke up, they were in the surface of Wolf Pack Island, laying next to each other in picnic blankets. Filia allowed everything that had happened to sink in and frowned. "I can't believe I was a monster."

"I can't believe what an interesting monster you make," Xellos teased. Yet beneath his carefree exterior he was lost in thought. The hints that Beast Master gave about what was to come greatly unnerved him. "Lord Beast Master," he approached her at the center of the picnic blankets that were laid out with Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis also present. Lina and Gourry ate the most, of course.

"Ah, you are awake," Zelas observed. "Join us, Lina got impatient and wouldn't shut up, so I entertained myself with a little cooking."

"Is it time to reveal the truth, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos asked and at those words Filia caught up to him and gave him a suspicious look. Lina momentarily paused in the process of reaching into the picnic basket nearest to her, as there were several, then feigned nonchalance and grabbed another sandwich. Many things had become clear to Xellos, but there were new questions.

"Yes," Zelas replied, dreading the topic, but knowing it was inevitable. "To clarify," she told her true general priest, "Dolphin and Dynast are in the same boat as me in this. The true enemy is Darkstar." Zelas stood and called out, "your attention everyone, I will now explain why I've called you all here." At those words, even the gluttonous Lina and Gourry started paying attention. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at the main conference hall of the dragon temple alliance, far from the peninsula, in what was known as the outer world... "So you see, my fellow dragons, it is up to us to protect this world. The Knight of Ceifeed has spoken, bringing with her the commands of our Lord Ceifeed. We must heed her words!" Topaz Ebony was doing a fine job of riling up the council. "Everything is already in place; we need only your energy. This is our chance to rid the world of monsters forever. This is our chance at true victory. Through the alliance of the glorious dragon race with our trusted Knight of Ceifeed and the honorable Lord Vorfeed, we shall be victorious! Peace and prosperity will flourish, Lord Vorfeed will save us with her great power, she will grant Lord Ceifeed's wish for our well being. There is no question about what we must do! Thank you for your attention..."

Cheers erupted from the council as Topaz's proposal was almost unanimously accepted. Milgazia remained quiet however. Topaz headed back to his seat. The conference room had a circular structure with a podium on a raised platform at the center and climbing rows of seats where the elders and heads of powerful clans were seated. They were all important leaders and influential figure in the dragon race. Beside Topaz, at a place of honor, there sat Luna, or rather, Luna's body controlled by a spirit not her own. The captive Vorfeed's energy made her appear to be herself, as it was quite similar to the energy of Ceifeed.

A very elderly dragon, wearing flowing white robes with golden details, stepped up to the podium. His hair was almost pure white with a few strands of pale blond here and there. His blue eyes scanned the crowds and waited for them to settle down from their euphoria. He stopped as he gazed at the serious and unreadable face of Milgazia, also silently known as the leader of the black sheep clan. Though he was still rather guarded, he was more open to interacting with none dragons than other elders. He had a long friendship with an elf, whose daughter, Memphis, he trained for some time. He also interacted with humans, prominently a female warrior who defeated a Zanaffar long ago and more recently Lina Inverse. He had his own non-traditional logic and while some saw his seemingly radical ways as innovative, others didn't like them.

Milgazia was well respected of course, his diplomacy was unrivaled. Always polite, always respectful, always good to be around, he was known for a time as pleasant Milgazia. Yet lately, he had been pushing things becoming more vocal about certain aspects he would have otherwise kept quiet. Rumors came and went and when the dragons found themselves in Milgazia's presence, they dashed their doubts away at the face of such a trust inspiring dragon, an honorable fair leader who was brave enough to take chances. Milgazia himself wondered for how long that would continue in such a way.

The Supreme Elder of the dragon council finally tired of waiting for the loud murmurs of the crowd to quiet down and picked up the small hammer at the center podium. Once, twice and three times, he hit the small wooden circle atop the podium with the hammer until the dragons remember their place and settled down. Normally, the hammer would only have to be used once and only on rare occasions. "Would anyone else like to speak before we take votes?" Almost everyone present raised their hands. The Supreme Elder knew that they would only have words of encouragement to share with the Knight of Ceifeed, wanting to claim a portion of the spotlight for themselves.

Luna raised her hand and several heads turned towards her. Since she was the Knight of Ceifeed and the guest of honor, the Supreme Elder's attention was immediately turned towards her. "The council recognizes the Knight of Ceifeed, you may speak." 

The elderly dragon stepped down from the podium and Luna gracefully levitated towards it, in an elegant, albeit ultimately unnecessary, display of power. She wasn't wearing her usual clothes, instead clad in white dress-like robes with crimson details. "My honorable allies of the light, I thank you all for listening to the proposal I have shared with our fellow protector of the world, Mr. Ebony. While I do wish to hear each and every one of your opinions and fulfill the respectful protocol of the dragon council in allowing each of you a turn to speak, I am under the obligation to remind you all that time is of the essence. I have reasons to believe that the monster lords have learned of our plans." Her eyes flashed momentarily towards Milgazia. "If we do not act swiftly, we will lose our opportunity and Lord Vorfeed's kindness towards our world will be hindered. Thus I must request that the protocol be broken in light of the situation and that we pass on a vote now. After this situation has settled, we will have time to listen to everyone's words of wisdom concerning this, thank you." Expressing superficial polite gratitude towards the group for listening to her words, Luna levitated back to her seat.

The Supreme Elder, who served as a chancellor for the council of the dragon race took the podium once more. This time, rather than there being a flood of murmurs from the crowd, there was absolute silence as they nodded and smiled, waiting for the Supreme Elder to ask for Luna's request to be passed. "At the request of the Knight of Ceifeed, all input concerning the situation will be shared later, anyone who is against this motion please raise your hand now." No one raise their hands, they all wanted a turn to speak, but if they were promised that later, they were satisfied with that. The Supreme Elder glanced at Milgazia, who remained still as a statue with no intentions of raising his hand. He didn't want to have to listen to many support speeches at a time like this. "By a unanimous decision, the discussions will be postponed and the voting will commence now. If anyone is against the proposed plans, raise your hand now." The Supreme Elder was looking right at Milgazia when he spoke those words and, just as he expected, the water clan elder raised his hand. "Lord Milgazia?" 

The Supreme Elder didn't move from the center podium, indicating that Milgazia was not welcome to stand in it, which meant that his words were expected to be brief. "I simply wish to express my concern towards Lord Vorfeed. Defeating the monster lords, all three that remain at once, would be a very difficult task," Milgazia carefully stated.

The Supreme Elder looked at Luna, silently prompting her to speak. "I'm certain that Lord Vorfeed appreciates your concern for her well being, however, there is no need to worry. Everything has been carefully planned out and with the help of the energy of the noble dragon race, Lord Vorfeed will be victorious."

"What about the Darkstar prophecy?" Milgazia brought up the incident. "In that occasion, I thought Lord Vorfeed had-"

Luna shook her head and interrupted, but since all the dragons were in her favor, none of them showed any signs of disapproval towards her interruption. "Lord Vorfeed had been split in two at the time," that much was true, from a certain perspective, but then the lies began. "Half of Lord Vorfeed was destroyed along with Darkstar. The other half remained in the over-world and, without a dark lord to oppose her, she became ever stronger. It was thanks to the prophecy and the forces of this world that Darkstar was ultimately defeated, though that also signified the destruction of that half of Vorfeed. None the less, the remaining half of Vorfeed is grateful for the defeat of Darkstar and wishes to thank this world by sharing the peace and prosperity that flourishes in the over-world in the absence of evil."

"What of the balance between light and darkness, the motion of chaos?" Milgazia reminded, he would think Vorfeed was well aware of such things. Albeit, those were theories that many were not ready to accept.

"Such theories are flawed, as Lord Vorfeed has learned from experience. She has explained it all to me and I will be happy to share her teachings with everyone and clarify any remaining doubts. However, we do not have enough time for that now. Thus I must ask you to trust me, trust Lord Ceifeed and trust Lord Vorfeed," Luna finished.

Milgazia knew that he wasn't going anywhere. The majority was already ready to accept the plan to rid the world of the monster lords and they weren't willing to think suspiciously of it. Milgazia said no more and when his silence stretched for a few seconds, the Supreme Elder took it to mean that he was done speaking. "Does anyone else have any concerns to share?" No one raised their hand. "Is anyone opposed to the proposed plans?" no one, not even Milgazia who knew it would be useless, raised their hand. "Then it is decided, we will proceed as previously discussed, this meeting has finalized."

The voices of many overtook the area as some dragons filed out of the large chamber, while others remained seating and discussed the meeting with the council members seating nearest to them. Some stood and headed towards Topaz and Luna with compliments and thanks, while Milgazia remained quiet in his seat for a few seconds before finally getting up. An older dimos dragon seated near him addressed the water clan elder. "It's good to see you're being cautious, Lord Milgazia, yet this is the time to show us that adventurous spirit you always showed before. It's okay to be excited for the occasion this time; it's alright to take direct swift action," he encouraged.

Milgazia didn't want to waste his time arguing and he knew the dimos' words were well intended. "I'll keep that in mind." He smiled politely, though it was forced, and excused himself to leave.

xoxox xox xoxox

Back at Wolf Pack Island, Zelas began her explanation. "I have found out through various means," which included spying, fortune telling and unwilling hints from Milgazia, "that Darkstar is back. During the prophecy incident, Vorfeed had apparently merged with Darkstar after having become tired of the endless cycle of the war of darkness and light." Although it truth it was only a part of Vorfeed that merged, while Canal Vorfeed stayed behind, but those were details that the group would fully comprehend a little later. 

For the time being, even Zelas' knowledge was filled with incomplete theories. They were both supposed to have been destroyed then, however, that wasn't entirely what happened. I believe that the fusion magic which preserved the ancient dragon also preserved them and a portion of Darkstar, or rather a portion of both Darkstar and Vorfeed united, was send back to the over-world in secret. The point is, Darkstar is back and he intends to obtain more power from us monster lords. I can only conclude that he wishes to absorb us into his being."

Silence reigned supreme over the reunion. Gourry was confused, but he made an effort to understand as he stared at Zelas, making himself pay attention. Lina sat frozen behind him, with her undivided attention on Zelas in spite of all the food around her. Amelia and Zelgadis also watched quietly along with Filia, who seemed to be holding her breath. The golden dragon who had been recently restored to her original species along with her original hair color, finally found the will to break out of her frozen posture with a small movement, turning her head towards Xellos. The purple haired general priest had both is eyes open, further denoting the seriousness of the situation. There was hope and expectancy in his eyes as he waited for Beast Master to speak of a strategy to counter Darkstar, though her foreboding words from earlier still rung heavily in his mind.

"If Darkstar is successful," Zelas continued. "I can only assume that his next course of action would be to destroy the over-world and most likely this world soon after. Naturally, I can't let him step all over my territory like that." A flash of anger crossed her elegant features before her face turned serene and unreadable again, as if covered by a mask of false nonchalance. "I have reasons to suspect that the Knight of Ceifeed is being controlled by the enemy."

Lina gasped at the revelation, "Luna! That can't be!"

"Go to her and see for yourself if you wish to find out if this theory is right or wrong. However, you must be careful. If you notice anything, do not let her know it," Zelas warned. "It could be that she's only being tricked, but either way, the result of her actions, whether they are truly hers or not, is the same."

"I..." Lina paused unsure. "I'll investigate those actions and find out through that." She didn't feel ready to face Luna if she was being controlled or tricked. The redhead was concerned that she wouldn't be able to hold her temper down if Luna had been overtaken, she did care about her sister deep down even with all her fear of her, and she knew Luna cared about her too. If Luna was actually being tricked, which didn't seem likely, as she was rather sharp, then arguing with her would be impossible. "Why do you say she's being controlled anyway? What's going on? You haven't explained the whole story. How is Luna involved with Darkstar? How does he intend to attack? How do you even know all this?"

Zelas closed her eyes for a moment and obliged with more explanations. Her silver eyes opened as she summoned all her patience, this explanation was necessary after all and she wouldn't let the frustration attached to it hinder it. She had never been this stressed before; she had no reason to be. Darkstar, under the guise of Vorfeed, if you can even call it a guise since she is as a part of him, has offered the dragons to rid the world of the monsters. He is using the Knight of Ceifeed to convince them, either that, or Luna was tricked as well. Naturally, the dragons have no idea it's Darkstar they're dealing with and think it's only a part of Vorfeed that was left behind after a portion of her merged with Darkstar and was supposedly destroyed along with him during the prophecy. They see this as a purer Vorfeed who wishes to repay the inhabitants of this world for Darkstar's apparent defeat. If the dragon's fall for it, they'll lend their energy into Darkstar's plans."

"Why not just warn them?" Lina questioned. "The dragons might not take a warning from me and they certainly won't take a warning from you, but we can talk to Milgazia about it. I'm sure that if we explain the situation, he'll listen. That means helping the dragons not make a mistake, but it's in your best interest too, so I don't see why you would have anything against telling them."

"Milgazia would listen and analyze and reach his own conclusions, yes," Zelas agreed. "But it would be useless. I didn't bother telling Milgazia the whole story and simply took what he knew, united it with my knowledge and completed the puzzle. He is concerned and knows there has to be more to this, but isn't sure about the forces behind it. You may, if you wish, reveal everything I am saying to him, but it is useless either way. Even if Milgazia stands before the council and with all certainty tells them everything, he has no proof and they won't believe him. If anything, it would have been worse for him for the council to lose more confidence in his judgment."

"If that happens," Zelas continued. "His value as a window into the dragon council would be reduced, if not completely lost. Then if he becomes useless to me I would have to kill him and who would take care of his clan then? I doubt they'll enjoy having a stricter elder taking Milgazia's place, but that's exactly the kind of dragon the higher-ups will assign. That's why he's relatively compliant with me, he's protecting his clan and it wouldn't make me look good if I let him live if he can give me nothing. I'd rather not lose this resource. That is why I remained mostly silent towards Milgazia until it was too late. Warning him wouldn't have been beneficial anyway, not for either of us."

To be Continued


	12. Chapter 12

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 034: Waiting! Passing Time Of Tension

Another silent pause passed through Wolf Pack Island until Zelas spoke again. "My monster spies have been rather effective." They had been too effective and Zelas suspected a traitor among her monster minions, who was dropping information as if mocking the fact that nothing could be done. That was how she found out so much. But she would prove the traitor wrong, she would do something and she would find a way to triumph, she couldn't afford to doubt that. As for the traitor, it wasn't about switching sides to favor Dolphin or Dynast, as they were in the same situation as her. The unforgivable mystery traitor must be allied to Darkstar.

"This is what I know," Zelas revealed. "Dolphin, Dynast and myself will be summoned to the over-world. There, Darkstar intends to fight us. It is hard to say what form we'll take once we arrive, so we will very likely be at a disadvantage. No one will accompany me during that time and anyone who does will most certainly be swiftly destroyed. It doesn't matter where we monster lords are or if we're together or not. Where we will go is out of our control at this point. My plan is to escape from Darkstar in a temporary retreat and if possible take Dolphin and Dynast with me. If not, then I'll escape on my own and, if it can be done," if they survive, "free them from Darkstar later. Celo has constructed a mechanism that will transport a small group to the over-world. Of course, the transportation will be at a safe distance from Darkstar. I will rendezvous, explore the over-world, gather sufficient power and defeat Darkstar. That's the plan."

Xellos' jaw was askew but he didn't seem to notice it. He wanted to say a million things, but could hardly speak. "Why must you go in the first place?"

"I will be forcibly summoned, as will Dolphin and Dynast, it will be impossible to resist and fighting will only exhaust energy that I will need," Zelas reaffirmed, she didn't want to repeat it, so she hoped it sunk in for Xellos then. "Dolphin and Dynast are with their top ranked monsters, arranging things for their absence. Xellos, we have talked about this before." Beast Master reminded and Xellos could only nod silently, he hated those conversations now, though he thought they were ridiculous at the time. Why would Beast Master ever be missing? In the worse case scenario he could think of, he would be destroyed long before her, so he wouldn't have to worry about her absence, but now he faced a situation that was to him even wrose than that.

"Let me guess," Lina's somewhat pissed off voice was the next to breach the tense atmosphere. "We are all part of the group who will follow you to the over-world and participate in the gathering of power that will lead to the eventual battle against Darkstar." She stated more so than asked. Zelas knew that an answer wasn't even needed, but she nodded anyway and Lina continued. "That's easier said than done, but if the situation is as you say, then we have no choice but to follow up on your plan or be killed by Darkstar. At least you'll be fighting alongside us this time around instead of leaving all the work to us and mostly to me." 

Zelas nodded again and Xellos frowned, he felt a deep concern for Beast Master's well being that was terribly discomforting. Seeing as the feeling of serious gloom was about to become too suffocating to bare, Amelia jumped to her feet and pumped her fist in the air. "In the name of justice we will defeat Darkstar and save the world!"

Zelgadis sighed exasperated, "we really do have no choice. Alright, if you really want to go, Amelia, and I know that even without any threats from Zelas you would, then I'll go too."

"Darkstar... again..." Filia whispered quietly. She looked at Xellos, he noticed her gaze and closed his eyes, giving her a fake smile. It was the most painfully false smile she had ever seen upon his face. "I'll do my best." She would try her hardest for the world, for her friends, for her family and for Xellos, especially for Xellos.

"Um..." Gourry suddenly piped up with a look of confusion on his face, which came as no surprise. Everyone expected a stupid question to come out of his mouth, but he shocked them by pointing out something rather intriguing. "I'm not sure what's going on, but if we're talking about Darkstar, then what about the sword of light? Weren't they related somehow?"

Lina's eyes widened, how could she forget about that detail? "That's right; it was pretty weird how the sword was returned to you." She looked at Zelas questioningly. "How do you explain that?" She pointed at the sword's hilt that was on Gourry's belt.

"I can't," Zelas confessed. "There is definitely a connection between Gorun Nova and Darkstar, but why has the legendary weapon been so mysteriously returned to the hands of Gourry Gabriev is a secret even to me. It is either a trap we cannot understand, or mockery at our perceived helplessness. I would advise to be weary of it."

"I see..." Lina let out a breath, she had just learned so many things and yet there were so many more that she still didn't understand. None the less, she did note the use of 'we' in Zelas' speech, which meant that they were all officially on board in this, like a pack of wolves following their leader. "What can we do to prepare? When are you being summoned?" 

"Soon," Zelas revealed. "There will be signs when it happens, but I doubt there will be a long warning. I'm sure you'll notice it immediately, though for your safety, you will not be there when it occurs." She looked straight at Xellos who appeared to want to protest to that, but she silenced him into obedience with her piercing silver eyes. "As for preparations, we've done as much as we can. It seems you all fight at your best when the adrenaline of a new adventure is still fresh, but there is no time for the journey to continue. For now, rest, then when I am gone, return here, Celo already has instructions. Xellos, everything will be done as we discussed in the case of my absence and since you will be leaving along with everyone, don't forget to oversee things with Lieutenants Zenki and Neuro one last time before leaving, as we discussed if such an occasion was ever to occur."

It wasn't a contingency plan specifically for Darkstar of course, nor did it really take the involvement of the over-world into consideration. It was a plan of what to do if Beast Master was ever incapacitated or even destroyed. "Yes, Lord Beast Master," Xellos replied with an uncharacteristic solemn tone.

"Very well then, for the time being rest," Zelas concluded. "I don't want to make a mess around here, as the summoning may damage the surrounding area, so I won't be here in Wolf Pack Island, but you may stay if you so wish it. Fang is available to teleport you to any location you might want to visit to make you feel ready for what lies ahead. I also gave him sufficient funds to keep on hand and pay for your meals and supplies if there is anything you need to buy. That is all." Not even the mention of more free food was able to wipe the grave look out of Lina's expression.

xoxox xox xoxox

Some time later, at a grassy field in the outer continent beyond the peninsula, away from any settlements... She knew he was coming before the shadow of a dragon flying overhead was casted on her. He made no effort to hide his presence as he landed just out of her sight a few feet away. She didn't turn her head from gazing at the sky and the patterns of smoke. There was a flash of gold and soon a new smaller shadow, this one in closer proximity, was casted upon her.

Milgazia stood hovering over the unmoving monster lord. She seemed to have no intentions of getting up even if this was certainly not the time to be lounging about, laying down on the grass. "I went to Wolf Pack Island and Lina got me up to speed in what's going on. She said you mentioned me warning the dragons would have been useless due to the lack of proof. It would be useless now as the energy of many had already been given, though I left and didn't offer my own, they have plenty. If I had known before, I might have been able to do something, to push Ebony into speaking if he knows anything, or even Luna, or whoever that is."

Zelas Metallium chuckled mockingly and blew smoke from her cigarette at Milgazia's face. She didn't like him hovering over her like that. "Should have, could have would have, there are so many such occasions in life."

Milgazia stepped back, repelled by the scent of the smoke. He knew that if he threw out accusations when he was at the dragon council meeting they would kick him out, maybe even label him as a traitor. Luna's energy felt very much like holy energy, but that was only because Vorfeed was Darkstar's prisoner and was being used. "You're about to be kidnapped by a dark lord from another world and all you can think to do is lie there smoking?"

Zelas couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes. "You make me sound like such a damsel in distress."

Milgazia almost let out a little huff, but he was too polite and diplomatic to do so. Given that Zelas seemed to have no intentions of moving, he sat down on the grass next to where she was laying. "Lina told me about your plans too. I am in favor of defeating Darkstar of course."

"Oh? You want to avenge the kidnapping of this poor damsel, how chivalrous." Zelas sarcastically commented in reply. Her tone was somewhat clipped, indicating that she wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone him. 

"I want to protect the world." Milgazia knew that the clarification wasn't necessary, but he voiced it anyway.

"Is that all you came here to say?" Zelas asked impatiently. She blew rings of smoke into the air above her and, from the corner of her eyes, she saw Milgazia wrinkle his nose in disgust. 

"I thought I should speak to you before you left in case you had something you wanted to add that you didn't tell Lina," he explained.

"I don't, so you can leave," Zelas occupied herself with her smoke rings, pointedly ignoring Milgazia.

He didn't leave though. "I hate smoke."

"I like it," Zelas countered. "It reminds me of flames and destruction and pleasant things."

"That's why I hate it," Milgazia commented.

"I hate nosy dragons who can't take a hint," Zelas added. "I'll spell it out for you," she sat up and blew more smoke from the cigarette, which Milgazia tried to fan away with one hand, covering his mouth and nose with the other. "I want you to leave. I see no reason for you to be here and it might just be best for your health if you're not." She didn't mean the smoke though, sure that was annoying to him, but she was talking about the summoning that was to come. She forbade Xellos from following her and she could imagine him getting on everyone's nerves keeping himself from doing so. No one could be useful to her right now, so she wanted no company.

"Would it change anything if I see it happen?" Milgazia was obviously referring to the summoning, but he tried to address the topic gently. He knew that Zelas was angry and rubbing her inevitable fate in her face would probably get him killed.

"No, but I doubt you'd be able to learn anything useful anyway," Zelas half growled. "That's why I have no monster messengers to witness this events, nothing will come out of it. My plan is already set anyway. I trust Lina told you that too?"

"She did," Milgazia confirmed and he remained there. Zelas smoked the last bit of her cigarette and threw away the stub. Milgazia fought the urge to go stomp it out, it didn't look like anything was going to catch on fire anyway and soon enough, the remainder of the cigarette lost its spark. It was a human product, he silently noted, not an astral visual representation, but an actual physical cigarette. "Why do you smoke anyway? You're astral, you don't need nicotine."

"I enjoy it," Zelas simply replied. She had three options now, injure Milgazia to shoo him away, try to ignore him, which she thought would be futile even if he was quiet, or make conversation to entertain herself and show she wasn't fazed by the situation. She decided she would go for the third option.

"That's an irony." Milgazia commented with neutrality, rather than the small chuckle he thought may not be very appropriate, but fitted the statement so much better.

"That an astral being enjoys smoking?" Zelas inquired, she had a feeling that wasn't exactly what he meant.

"That a monster enjoys anything," he replied with the same neutrality as before.

"Touche," Zelas laughed. "But if we're going to get all purist, we shouldn't even be having this conversation." She finally sat up and looked at the dragon who sat beside her.

"The world is not all black and white, we both know that. Sometimes even enemies can converse and it may prove to be mutually beneficial." Milgazia half stated and half mused aloud.

"When we try to get information out of each other," Zelas agreed. "But there's nothing to do now except pass the time. If we were to wait silently, time would pass just as quickly, the speed of time changing with conversation is only an illusion after all."

"Yes," Milgazia agreed. "But in this case it is in a sense a mutually beneficial illusion."

Zelas retrieved a deck of cards from her dress. "Cards?" She offered the deck to him. 

What was it with women stuffing things in their shirts and dresses anyway? He once saw Filia pull a bag of tealeaves from the top of her dress saying something about hiding them from Xellos. Then Amelia, Amelia of all people, commented that Xellos would have tried to steal them anyway if he knew where they were. Okay, so it was an effective hiding place, especially when around proper dragons, but why would a deck of cards be important? "What's on them?" Milgazia looked at the cars suspiciously.

"Ink," Zelas replied as a matter of fact. She graced Milgazia with a 'you're really stupid' look. "In the shape of numbers, spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts and stuff like that."

Milgazia tilted his head and looked at the cards with distrust. "Do you mean to tell me those are just regular playing cards? Are you asking me to play cards to pass the time?"

"Yes, genius," Zelas sarcastically confirmed, slightly more amused than impatient. "What were you expecting?"

Milgazia didn't even know what he had expected. Honestly, it would serve Zelas no purpose to set out a trap for him at that particular moment. He reached for the deck of cards she offered, but a cane hit his hand before he could touch them. Immediately, both Milgazia and Zelas turned to look at the figure standing behind them. "Halt, lad." There stood a very old dragon. His skin was pale and wrinkled, and his hair the purest white. His eyes were a pale gray that was almost silvery and he wore white robes. "Gambling shalt not bring thee satisfaction. Ye shall earn thy living with work."

Both Zelas and Milgazia blinked, frozen in place. "Where did this fossil come from?" Beast Master asked in perplexity. She didn't even sense the old man approaching, but upon trying hard to sense his energy, she notice he was a dragon.

Milgazia also noticed that the man was a dragon, but didn't know who he was. "Excuse me, sir, may I ask who you are?"

The old dragon hit the ground with his cane. "Ye shouldest ask that of thy self!" He chastised. 

"Excuse me?" Milgazia certainly didn't want to be disrespectful, but he had to wander if the old man was all there.

"Can we cut ye olde talk?" Zelas requested with an expression of displeasure, "it's like so yesterday."

"Very well, young lady, I will humor you in that much," the old dragon obliged. 

"What do you know? The fossil can talk normally after all. Although I'm sure what he was saying before was normal for him when he was young, many, many, many, many years ago." Never mind that she too talked like that during her first few centuries of life. Upon closer examination of his energy with her acute senses, Zelas realized why she didn't feel his presence before. He wasn't really a master at hiding his energy, he was just very weak. "Old geezer, you already have a foot in the grave. Have you come to me to be put out of your misery?"

"It is true that my end is near. I came to see your departure and the beginning of the end," the old dragon explained. "It's ironic and bittersweet to find you about to play cards with a dragon elder. Recreation, that is so very human of you. Nostalgia, that is so very human of me, we are all tainted."

"I think the old fossil lost it." Zelas comment was obviously meant for Milgazia, but she purposely spoke it loud enough for the old dragon to hear.

"We have all lost and we have all gained, young ones." The old dragon walked around the other two so that they wouldn't have to turn their heads around to see him and sat down in front of them instead. His whole form screamed fragility, as if he would turn to dust at any given moment. At the same time, there was an aura of pure wisdom around him and peaceful acceptance after a long life. He set his wooden cane on the ground beside him and spoke once more. "Do you remember, young lady, how things were when Ceifeed and Shabranigdu fought?"

Zelas was taken by surprise, not because of the question itself, though it was quite unusual, but because the old dragon spoke with a knowing tone as if he had been there. "Just how old are you anyway? Where do you get off calling me young lady?"

The old dragon chuckled, "I assure you lass, I am older than you."

"Perhaps not in years, but in appearance," Zelas countered. No, he couldn't be older than her in years; she was a monster lord after all. "I could kill you, but seeing as you are semi-amusing and you're so very close to your natural death anyway, I'll let you live for now." Zelas decided while Milgazia watched on with quiet curiosity. "About your question, what were you getting at?"

The old dragon took a deep breath and braced himself for a long story. "This is a tale about the conflict set in motion by the Mother of All Things, the Lord of Nightmares. She who wishes for us to face our worse dreams, because it is only then that we can grow. Ah, did you hear me? I am saying we, but that was not how it was in the beginning, because neither monsters nor dragons were meant to be what they have become. This only further proves their strong influence over everything, even those who were made to influence them instead became like them."

Tired of the silence he had been keeping, Milgazia finally spoke. "Who are they?"

The old dragon smiled with a mix of fondness and irony. "Why, they are the humans, of course."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 035: Challenge! Critical Conditions

The humans, the power in between light and darkness, the power from the Darkstar prophecy. Suddenly, the old dragon's ramblings didn't seem so random after all. Both Milgazia and Zelas listened quietly. "In old human folklore both dragons and monsters were rare and few. This isn't a simple matter of not mentioning minor characters in ancient verbal records, but rather, they weren't there. Do you remember, young lady? Back then it was just Ceifeed, Shabranigdu and those whom they created to continue their battle and seek revenge should one of them fall. The dragon lords and the monster lords were the only ones back then. There were no other dragons and no other monsters. Do you know what happened to create more?"

"Numbers," Zelas replied, thinking back on it. "We realized that numbers were convenient and..." She paused and looked deeper into her memories. "Actually, the dragons came in more numbers first. The new dragons were of much lesser power than the dragon lords, but they were inconveniences. We monster lords decided that we needed to match them with numbers as well if we were to win. We weren't certain how to do it, so we experimented and in the end managed to create new life by breaking off portions of ourselves. Those were very small portions, but they were enough to fight off the lesser dragons."

"Yes," the old dragon nodded. Then he looked at Milgazia. "Young man, do you know where those dragons came from, that fought beside the dragon lords?"

"I... don't..." Milgazia admitted. Who knew about the very beginning of life anyway?

"Humans have short life spans; they are destroyed and recreated constantly through their rapid generations. They have hasty ambitions, the ability to change, to progress and a lively determination that seems far too powerful to be contained in so little time. Humans were many and they were innovative. The dragons observed them and became jealous of them. They too had physical forms as the humans did, so why would they not have offspring as well?"

Milgazia sat there with a frozen expression. His face was a mixture of surprise and fading doubt. It made sense, it all made sense. He had heard theories about it before, though not exactly like that, not so direct. "Then us dragons are descendants of the dragon lords?"

"Yes, but as you became many, the dragon lords feared you would be as unruly as the wild humans. Resourceful and adaptable as they were, the humans were not so civilized back then as they are now," the old dragon explained. "Hence why certain rules were put into place and strictly enforced to prevent too many dragons from spreading all over the world. The dragon lords also noticed that the new dragons were in some ways like humans, perhaps more so as high humans."

"High humans?" Milgazia questioned, too entranced in the story to care that he was interrupting his senior. "You mean elves?"

"Yes, that is what they are called now. Their kind has become purer and achieved a greater lifespan by mating only among themselves, though they were only particularly talented humans in the beginning. They are a race, rather than a species," the old dragon explained. "The humans had companions of other species though, the ones known now as beastmen, trolls and the like. However, even with their claws and fangs to defend themselves, their fur and tough skin to protect them from the elements and their advantageous strength and agility, the more fragile human race with their wit and determination bested them in the race of evolution. Humans with their quest of superiority, perhaps to make up for the physical advantages that the Mother of All Things didn't give them, made sure to establish themselves as the dominant race of this world. They are numerous and they are incredibly resourceful and volatile."

"So the underdogs of physical creatures came out on top," Zelas chuckled. "I do hope this story is actually going somewhere more interesting than that."

"Patience, young lady, I'm getting there," the old dragon continued. "The monsters attacked from the astral side and though they had some limitations, the dragons could sense them and attack them back. The monsters didn't need to leave the astral side and it would be a waste of power to do so. Why then did they become so determined to do so?"

"So the history lesson continues," Zelas sounded rather bored. "We thought that we could find a weakness in the dragon race by experimenting in the physical plane of existence."

"That was only an excuse," the old dragon boldly declared.

"What?" Zelas glared.

The old dragon remained unfazed. "Astral attacks were effective enough, fighting the very soul. Mere observation and perhaps possession would have been enough to figure out how to pray on physical weaknesses. Yet the monsters wanted their own physical forms because the dragons had them, and the humans had them, and all other creatures had them, so why shouldn't they?"

"Are you saying we were envious?" Zelas challenged.

"Indeed," the old dragon dared to confirm. "Those who won the race of evolution were the humans. To keep them from destroying themselves, they were given guides, the dragons. To push them to overcome negativity and to weed out the weak, they were given challengers, the monsters. They would fight those astral evils as they would fight the evils within themselves and they would be protected by the dragons, cared for in their fragile forms. If you consider those purposes, it makes sense for the dragons to need physical forms and for the monsters to be astral. The dragons helped preserve the humans and the monsters challenged their spirits."

"We were enemies as we are and always will be." Zelas voiced, though the impatience was gone from her tone.

"Your goals seemed opposite, but it was all the same thing, to encourage the evolution of humans, see how far they can go and keep the cycle of motion that is life." The old dragon remarked. "To keep things in order means to encourage living creatures to leave their mark and preserve their identity, to reach their goals and stay focused. To return the world to chaos means to place living creatures on the path to rapid evolution, to destroy for the sake of creating. To destroy what is not needed so that what is best can flourish against all odds, if it has what it takes. When it all comes to a stop, the Lord of Nightmares shall start the cycle over as she has no interest in stagnation."

The wise old dragon continued. "Yet your missions were all but forgotten, corrupted and bent to convenience because those whom you were to influence have influenced you into becoming like them. You emulate them in every aspect, believe it or not. You want, you desire, you want to leave your mark rather than remain in the shadows. You want to dominate, to conquer, that is their instinct. For them it is necessary to preserve their fragile forms. For you," he referred to dragons and monsters as a whole, "it has resulted in something very interesting."

Zelas was frowning while Milgazia remained lost in thought. The water clan elder knew he couldn't share what the elderly dragon had said with many other dragons. Few would understand and most would take it the wrong way. Perhaps it was the same way for the monsters; most wouldn't like this story either. Yet he did find the discussion fascinating and it showed on his face.

"At least someone is amused," Zelas glared at Milgazia. Then she turned her piercing eyes towards the old dragon who, to no surprise to her by now, remained unaffected. "I suppose I can credit you a little, though I won't say I agree with it all. Yet regardless of how my personal desires originated, they exist and I will pursue my goals. An identity is a monster's most precious thing. I suppose it is that way for a human too and perhaps we copied our need to be acknowledged from them, but that doesn't matter now, we've already come too far. Maybe we did learn to evolve by observing humans and maybe that wasn't how it was set up to be, but it happened and that's that."

"I am not saying that it is wrong," the old dragon corrected with a smile. "All the opposite, I'm sure the Mother of All Things is both amused and intrigued. I'm certain that she very much enjoys watching your endeavors. Well, that is all that I wanted to tell you."

"You're an odd character," Zelas voiced.

"A character, eh?" The old dragon chuckled. "You are correct, that is exactly what I am, as you see me at present at least." Neither Zelas nor Milgazia quite understood what that meant. Before they could ask about the odd philosophical hint in the statement, the old dragon spoke again. "Go on and play your game of cards now. This old character won't interrupt you anymore." He stood slowly and with difficulty, then picked up his cane from the ground. "What was it that you were going to play? Strip poker?"

"N-no," Milgazia stuttered, his eyes suddenly wide. He composed himself quickly though. Judging by Zelas' silence she wasn't expecting such a comment from the elderly dragon either.

Zelas finally reacted and joked. "Only because you know I would beat you."

"Aren't your clothes part of your astral form?" Milgazia pointed out as a matter of fact. "You can create as many garments as you wish; you would never lose like that."

Zelas chuckled, amused to be given the opportunity to annoy Milgazia by such an unlikely source. "Are you disappointed?"

"Of course not," Milgazia frowned.

"Well, don't you go taking your clothes off either. Not until it's time to jump into my oven and become dragon cuisine at least." Zelas grinned maliciously, but also with amusement. Seeing Milgazia's frown deepen, she added. "What? Is it modesty? I'm the world's greatest chef, I can cook without looking. Besides, you'd have to be in dragon form anyway."

"I hate your dragon cuisine jokes," Milgazia stated the obvious.

"I know," Zelas grinned some more. "That's why I tell them to you." Her expression was quite similar to Xellos' at that moment, though it soon changed to alertness as the sky suddenly turned darker and darker until it was pitch black. The clouds spiraled overhead and thunder and lightning flooded the area. "It's happening!" This was it. It was her time to go into survival mode against a power that she could only hope to escape at present, so that she would later become strong enough to defeat it.

"Sir, you must get out of here!" Milgazia urged.

"Nonsense, my boy. Didn't you hear me before? This character is near death and his final wish is to witness this event." The old dragon reminded.

Milgazia considered arguing, but the elderly dragon had a point. He would die naturally soon anyway so he didn't want to force him to miss out on his last request. "Alright, just stay behind me, I'll protect you. We better step away from her though."

"Very well," the old dragon followed Milgazia as they put some distance between themselves and Zelas. 

The monster lord stood proud and unafraid. If she had a heart it would be pounding with something akin to distaste for the unknown and an overload of courageous adrenaline. Lack of physical aspects aside, she got the same jolt of bravery anyway. "So you want my power, Darkstar?" She yelled into the skies as she took on her true form of a winged wolf. "I'll give you my power in more ways than you can handle!"

A beam of light came down as the clouds parted. It seemed to go on beyond the atmosphere, beyond the world itself. The summoning device was in the over-world after all. Zelas opposed no resistance, as she knew it would be futile. The light engulfed her form and pulled her up as if guiding her through a dimensional tunnel. She imagined that in their chosen locations, Dolphin and Dynast were going through the same process. 

Finally, the light faded, leaving destruction behind and Zelas was no where to be found. The few trees that occupied the field were practically without leaves due to the strong wind, with most of their branches broken. The land was churned, the grass gone to leave behind burnt earth. "Are you alright, sir?" Milgazia let down the magic shield he had put up for their protection and looked at the old dragon. Even with the shield he felt a strong lashing of energy that felt like being subjected to a painful astral attack.

His energy was so very fragile; he really was an inch away from the end of his life, yet the old dragon remained unaffected by the aftershock that caused Milgazia such pain. "I'm alright, but I seemed to have dropped something."

Milgazia looked around and spotted the dragon's cane not too far away. "Just a moment, I'll go get it." He walked the few steps towards the cane laying on the ground on the edge of the burnt circle. There was a card near it with a picture of a wolf in the back. Zelas dropped her cards when she was summoned and most of them seemed to have been blown away. This one that was left behind was the queen of spades. He didn't think the card was of any importance, but he kept it anyway, just in case. Then he bent over and reached to pick up the wooden cane. Yet when the tips of his fingers brushed it, the cane became a shovel. Milgazia stared at it in disbelief and once again reached for it. The item seemed stable enough in its new form. He looked at the card again, but didn't think that had anything to do with the strange transmutation. He held the shovel in his hand, looking at it curiously. Then he turned around to face the old dragon, but he wasn't there.

There was no trace of the old dragon, his weak energy having disappeared completely. As for the person who stood where he once was, it was a woman of human appearance with long blond hair, eyes hidden beneath her bangs and red painted lips curled into a knowing grin. Milgazia couldn't sense her energy at all, as if she was there but she wasn't. She extended her hand to him and looked at the shovel. Without a word, he gave her the tool and when her hand touched one end of the handle, while he still held the other, he felt a jolt of immeasurable power.

Milgazia quickly pulled back his hand and stared at the being before him. Her power was tremendous, but she was hiding it very well. She smiled and disappeared without a trace, not even leaving bits of energy clinging to the atmosphere; it was a completely clean exit. Not just anyone could be capable of that. 'The Lord of Nightmares...' Milgazia silently concluded. It further confirmed that this was something big; she was like a sign of the end of the world. He knew the world was in danger, but this encounter put it into a new perspective. The world was in very serious danger of ending again, not just their world, but also the over-world Darkstar had to be stopped. 

xoxox xox xoxox

At the same time of the summoning, Xellos witnessed it from Wolf Pack Island. Amelia and Zelgadis had been teleported to Seyruun by Fang. In the mean time, Lina and Gourry had Fang take them restaurant hopping all over the world, insisting that it was a very much needed preparation for the coming battle. Xellos had remained at Wolf Pack Island and Filia with him. He visibly tensed as the skies turned darker. Though it was far away, he was looking in the direction where he knew Beast Master was, his senses focused on her until she was gone and the onslaught of energy, that could be painfully felt even from afar, ceased.

He stood there at the shore of Wolf Pack Island for several more minutes as the skies cleared in what most who were uninformed would think of as nothing but a crazy mood swing of the weather. Except for the pain similar to an astral attack, every living creature in the world felt it, no exceptions. "She's gone..." Xellos voiced with more bitterness than Filia had ever heard him use before, though he was obviously trying to suppress it.

Filia wasn't fond of Beast Master, but she was still Xellos' mother in a sense and she knew how much he admired her and, she dared think, he loved her like a son. "Xellos..." She wrapped her arms around him, but Xellos only stiffened, not returning the embrace.

He pushed Filia back by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, opening his. "I have a lot to do, Filia. Go home and be with Val, I don't have time for you."

Filia didn't like how she was pushed away when she was trying to be supportive, but she did miss Val and she knew that having a golden dragon running around after him wouldn't make Xellos' job any easier. "I want to be with you, but I-"

"Filia, don't be difficult," Xellos voiced sternly and seriously, his eyes still open and intense.

She brought up a finger to his lips to silence him. "I want to be with you, but I understand there are things you need to do which only you can do, and having a dragon along might be inconvenient. I'll leave the monster business to you, if that will make it," easier? No, nothing could make this easier. "Faster," she finished. "Just know that if there's anything at all I can do, I'm willing to try my best."

Xellos nodded silently, closed his eyes regaining his usual mask, and teleported them to Seyruun. He dropped off Filia at the living area of her shop on the second floor of the bakery where the foxes lived, and disappeared again, back to Wolf Pack Island to tend to his duties as Beast Master's general priest. 

xoxox xox xoxox

After Xellos was gone, Filia took a moment to compose herself and ventured out of the living area and into the Maces and Vases shop area. Strangely, it was closed. She went down stairs and found that the bakery was closed as well. She looked all over the building, but couldn't find Val, Gravos, Jillas, Elena or Palou anywhere. Perhaps they had all gone to the castle where she would guess Amelia and Zelgadis still were. 

Filia was heading out of the structure, but had a bad feeling suddenly and ran back in. She scrambled up the stairs not understanding why her premonition was making her heart pound. She hurried to Solex's room, but he wasn't there. She gasped and could feel herself panicking. The castle, Solex had to be at the castle, everyone had to be there. They must have taken him along, yes, they were keeping him safe, they had to be. 

Filia dashed out of the shop and down the street. The citizens of Seyruun were still shocked from the crazy weather and the wave of pain that hit them all simultaneously. The princess had warned them that something dangerous was about to happen, but she didn't mention the specifics, as not even she knew them. Filia paid no attention to the voices of the crowds as they went out of their homes to discuss the happenings with their neighbors and expressed how much they hoped this was only a one time occurrence.

She made it to the Seyruun castle in record breaking time and ran past the guards. They knew her, so they didn't try to stop her. She tried to sense someone's energy, anyone she knew and allowed her senses to guide her past flights of stairs deeper into the castle. There were more guards, but they recognized Filia, they were expecting her and didn't get in her way. Finally, she reached a chamber decked out with protective magic and the scene she saw almost made her heart stop.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 036: Frustration! The Bitter Taste of Defeat

Filia stood at the door to a chamber in the center of the Seyruun castle, a few stories underground. There were protective charms and runes all over the room on the walls and floor. At the center of it all, there was Amelia sobbing over something that was placed upon a pillow with Zelgadis trying to console her. Phil attempted to encourage her too, but sensitive as he was, he could hardly console himself. Naga was hugging Gravos, trying to soothe him. Normally, the close contact would make his face turn red, but he was too distraught to notice at the moment. The three fox beastpeople, Jillas, Elena and Palou were also huddled up together trying to find strength in each other with Val in the middle of their little group. No one seemed to notice Filia until she spoke. "What happened?"

The whole room froze and quieted with only barely audible sounds of sorrow. Philionel tried to speak, but couldn't find his voice. Instead, Amelia explained between sobs, "I failed, I said I would never let something like this happen," not again, "but I failed. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, you tried the hardest with your white magic, you're the best healer here, but I... I could hardly assist," Zelgadis gloomily added.

"At least you had magic to give, I just stood there unable to protect this little one at all," Phil cried.

"Oh daddy, don't cry, you were with us in spirit," Amelia tried to console her father. "I was at the center of the protection spell, I should have... should have..." her voice gave into silence.

Without a word, Filia walked across the chamber towards the cracked egg that was upon the pillow. "Solex... why?"

Naga stepped forward with tears in her eyes; she understood surprisingly well what had happened. Her knowledge of magic was more than most would think of at a glance. She had been told about the happenings at Wolf Pack Island and what Zelas explained. "Chaotic energy was at the center of Solex' formation. What was used in the summoning of Beast Master was chaotic energy. In theory that is also what lies between the worlds. The onslaught we felt was because of it, Solex was especially vulnerable to it."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Filia gasped, instantly feeling guilty. She picked up the lifeless egg that was like cracked glass. "I've waited so long to have you back, Solex, and now... Now you're gone. I should have been here; with holy magic I would have been able to do something!"

"No, you wouldn't have," Naga stepped forward with the terrible news. She slowly parted from the sniffling Gravos and walked over to Filia who had fallen to her knees with the egg in her hands. The eldest Seyruun princess knelt beside the golden dragon and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fang told us that which Beast Master told him. If there was an onslaught of magic, as there was, every living creature would feel it and nothing would stop it. It was only a theory, but just as chaotic energy revived the planet last year, this time it was used in a way that the side effect was tragic. Zelas didn't want to lose Solex either, he was her minion's minion after all and a being who combined the benefits of being a monster and a dragon. If there was anything that could have been done, she would have done it. Monster lord or not, it would have been in her best interest. We set this place up anyway, we tried, Amelia was especially hopeful, but no one could stop this. Not us, not you, not anyone."

Filia remained motionless with tears streaming down her face. "Why didn't she tell me?" She reproached Beast Master in a silent whisper. "Why didn't any of you tell me? Why didn't you go get me?"

"Xellos must not know yet," Naga informed with sorrow. "Fang passed on Zelas' message to us. Xellos needs to concentrate on his duties and keep things flowing as smoothly as possible. He can't deal with the loss of his," minion, Zelas had called him, though Naga decided to say "child. He can't deal with the sorrow of his wife. I'm sorry, Epona." Naga gently hugged Filia, calling her by her old nickname that Naga had given her over a year ago at Gourry's clueless suggestion. "I was the one who said we should fulfill the request. I see now that regardless of the result you would have wanted to try too. I understand if you're angry at me."

A moment of still and tense silence passed and finally, Filia shook her head. "I'm not angry at you and I believe what you said, this truly was inevitable. It's just so sad and frustrating and hard to believe. I'll tell Xellos, but you're right, I can't bother him and be troublesome to him now, he has enough to deal with. It must be hard to keep everything in order with Beast Master gone." Filia slowly stood. "I'll be going now..."

"Where, boss?" Jillas at last found the strength to speak.

"Sai..." Filia stopped and didn't finish voicing the name.

Amelia understood, "were you going to say Sairaag?" Filia gently nodded. "It's alright, you can say it. Before you got here, Zelgadis and I explained everything." It was no wonder poor Phil was extra sensitive really. "Let's let them rest together then."

Filia nodded, tears still flowing from her eyes. She went over to Val and hugged him. "Val, honey, I'm so sorry it had to be this way. There wasn't anything anyone could do." Val couldn't say anything and just hugged Filia. She made a silent promise to protect him; she wouldn't let Darkstar or anyone steal anyone else from her.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, in the over-world. The trip was rough and painful, but Zelas knew that the fight was just starting. She tried to sense her surroundings and thought she felt something. She couldn't sense things normally, but somehow, knowledge of her surroundings did reach her. She tried to feel her own astral body and found her shape to be odd and solid. Had the trip turned her into a sort of physical being? She tried moving, but the motions were stiff and lacking in precision, as she was not used to that form. 'What am I?' She thought. 

Zelas saw a large vessel with four smaller vessels around it. The vessels were strange, floating in a vast blackness with many points of light that she realized were stars. This was like the outer atmosphere of the planet from her world. Was this how all of the over-world was? Wasn't there a planet were living creatures inhabited? She couldn't see one near by. The largest vessel was pulling her in and somehow she knew it was Darkstar, even if it looked nothing like how Xellos described him from the events of the prophecy. She willed herself to move away from it and felt the effort of the movement like fire emanating from her body to propel her. Then she realized she was a vessel too. 

The possibility of having a physical body in the outer-world did cross her mind, but she certainly wasn't expecting to be some kind of ship that looked more like a very advanced machine than a biological creature. She tried to surround herself in a magical shield, but got no response. She couldn't use magic at all, this was bad. She saw two other vessels, one had various shades of blue and the other was light and dark gray, that were also trying to resist and recognized them as Dolphin and Dynast. "Dolphin! Dynast!" She called out to them and heard her own voice echoing within herself, as if being projected inside her body instead of outside. "Dolphin! Dynast!" She tried to reach out to them with her mind and felt a sort of telepathic connection initiate. It was a transmission, though she didn't know it by that name.

"Zelas! What in the world is going on? What are we?" Dolphin yelled exasperated and impatient, panicked. 

Zelas could see the image of Dolphin in her mind somehow. "How should I know, I just got here too. Shut up and retreat!"

"How is this thing holding us? I feel a pull but it's different than magic!" Dynast joined in. "What happened to our power? There has to be some way we can fight!"

Dynast's image also appeared in Zelas' mind and she assumed they could see her in the same way. Strangely, the image was of their human-like appearance, a sort of mental projection perhaps? "Never mind fighting, retreat for now!"

"Ha ha ha!" An imposing male voice echoed through the three monster lords' minds and the image of a man dressed in a tight black bodysuit, with long blond hair and cruel blue eyes appeared in their systems. "You have no idea what you're doing," Darkstar mocked. "You can't even communicate with each other without broadcasting your messages in this whole area. You don't even comprehend the forms you've taken!"

"Comprehend this!" Dynast shouted angrily and willed himself to attack. Even if he didn't understand what he was, he had to have some power to unleash; it couldn't have all disappeared on the way there. Countless missiles and lasers suddenly emerged from the vessel of shades of gray. He was doing it, he was attacking. Satisfied with that, he continued willing the same thing to happen, but soon the missiles ceased and a while later the lasers stopped as well. The four dark vessels that surrounded Darkstar had shielded him as well as prevented significant damage on themselves. Dynast was exhausted, he tried to shoot more of those things that looked like projectiles from those bazooka contraptions from the outer continent, but none came out of his form. The four enemy ships opened fire, damaging Dynast's defenseless vessel greatly.

"You'll be the first to be absorbed, give me your power!" The tractor beam was initiated again as Dynast was pulled in and the transmission link he had with Zelas and Dolphin was lost. 

"Zelas, what do we do? Will our power be exhausted so easily too?" Dolphin called out to Zelas.

"I don't know," Zelas' tone was clipped and enraged. She had never felt so helpless before and it angered her terribly. This couldn't be her end, it just couldn't be. 

"I won't allow this!" Another voice echoed as a white ship arrived. The ship was different from Darkstar and his allied vessels and also different from the monster lord vessels. 

"Canal!" The voice of Darkstar snarled angrily. "You do not have the power to defeat me, I hold the true consciousness of that ship as my prisoner, Vorfeed is mine!"

"The Swordbreaker is Kain's ship and I am its main operating system!" Canal argued. She was a young woman with long mint green hair in thick twin braids that went down to her knees and purple eyes. She wore a pink maid-like dress with a frilly white apron and a short purple tie. "I will rescue Vorfeed! I may not have the power to defeat you, but while you were busy summoning those ships from the other world; you didn't even notice the digital waves forming around you. Activate shield program!"

Zelas felt something invisible entering her ship. It was an AI protection program installing itself in her systems, though she didn't understand what that meant at the time. She only felt that something was keeping her safe and thought of it as being similar to a defensive spell.

"What have you done?" Darkstar's voice echoed in anger.

"That program I just installed on the new lost ships protects their main AI systems. You may be able to melt their metal into yours, but their minds will be preserved and they will fight back. You won't be able to absorb their power like that!" Canal victoriously revealed.

"You'll pay for your hindrance, Canal!" Darkstar growled. "Galveira, Bodigar, Nezard, Ragudo Mezegis, concentrate your attacks on the Swordbreaker!" 

'Those are the names of the weapons of light!' Zelas recalled. Yet Darkstar was referring to his allied vessels. Could it be that the weapons of light took on such a form in this world? Gourry was still in possession of Gorun Nova and if it was in truth one of Darkstars allied vessels, that meant that the second Lina's group crossed to the over-world, they would have an ambush waiting to happen. Zelas couldn't feel any magic at all, if magic didn't work in this strange world, how would Lina and the others defend themselves against a vessel similar to these? Was the endless starry blackness that seemed to compose this world even inhabitable to them, or would they take on entirely new forms that they too would have a hard time learning how to control?

Galveira, Bodigar, Nezard and Ragudo Mezegis focused their attacks on Swordbreaker. The white ship was surrounded by a defensive shield and seemingly preparing to fight back, but looked as if time would be needed to switch from defense to attack and there would be an opening for the enemy ships then. The Swordbreaker glided gracefully through the endless black space, narrowly dodging the attacks of the other ships, but sustaining some damage due to being so outnumbered. 

"Dolphin, Dynast, can you still hear me?" Zelas called out.

"I can!" Dolphin replied; her voice was laced with panic. "It looks like Dynast has been knocked out though."

"Focus, try to keep this telepathic channel or whatever it is between us," Zelas urged.

The communication link turned private between Dolphin and Zelas, but Darkstar didn't care to try to pry into it. When Dynast unleashed his power with so little control, it hadn't accomplished anything anyway and Darkstar knew that those ships from the other world had no human captains within, no power sources of psy-energy. There wasn't much they could do and he wasn't concerned, he just made sure to hold on to them so they wouldn't be able to fly away.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Dolphin calmed down a little and focused. If Zelas was insisting on being secretive, then that meant she had a plan of attack.

"That white ship, the one Darkstar called Swordbreaker, let's try to give it a hand with the fight," Zelas decided.

"What?" Dolphin shouted, stunned. "Isn't that ship allied to Vorfeed?"

"It seems so, but right now what matters is that it's Darkstar's enemy and so are we," Zelas argued.

"But it's not like it'll help us!" Dolphin countered. "We might as well be asking Ceifeed for assistance right now. Even if that Swordbreaker ship doesn't want Darkstar to absorb our power, wouldn't the best way to ensure that be to destroy us?"

"Not if we are needed as allies. We can't think about that now, focus on the present. We'll deal with Vorfeed's allies later," Zelas insisted. "Now let's do this. Try to shoot weapons like Dynast did, but focus on aiming for those dark ships attacking the white one and try not to hit the white one while you're at it."

"Easier said than done!" Dolphin huffed. "Here goes... come out... power!" A multitude of torpedo-like missiles were shot from Dolphin along with lasers.

"Pace yourself, Dolphin!" Zelas tried to shoot her own vessel's weaponry, but not all at once, carefully taking aim instead. 

"Do not interfere!" Darkstar's booming voice echoed and he started to pull them back towards him to disable their weapons system. Even if he couldn't overtake and erase their AI until he managed to crack Canal's protection program, he could at least leave them without a means to attack.

"We made him mad!" Dolphin changed tactics and started directing all her efforts on fighting Darkstar, in a futile struggle to escape the pull of his tractor beam.

"Don't aim at Darkstar, it's useless!" Zelas called out in alarm. "We have to make an opening for the Swordbreaker. I don't like it either, but it's our only way out of this!"

"What good is the Swordbreaker coming out of this if we're killed?" Dolphin panicked. "Even if it wants to help us, it can't!" In one last effort she dispatched all her missiles and used up the energy of her laser weaponry on Darkstar to no avail, as his shield protected him from significant damage even at close range. 

"Dolphin!" Zelas was really frustrated now. The communication channel with Dolphin was lost; she too had been knocked out. 'It's just me now...' Zelas wouldn't waste her weapons on Darkstar, though it filled her with anger to think she was helping an ally of Vorfeed. She encouraged herself in thinking that in the worse case scenario, at least she would be avenged. Xellos was coming with Lina and the others. They had a knack for finding what they needed. Surely they would one way or another run into that white ship and perhaps their alliance would make the difference in defeating Darkstar. 'I can't believe I'm thinking like that,' Zelas mentally scolded herself. 'I will be there fighting Darkstar in the final fight, I will not fall!' She let out what felt like a battle cry, the roar of the beast, and electro-magnetic waves invaded the space around her. She wasn't sure what she did, but it worked somehow.

"It's a scrambler!" Canal alerted, though she wasn't transmitting it, so only her crew inside the Swordbreaker, Kain and Millie, heard her.

"Wasn't that violet and gold ship trying to help us before?" Millie yelled, through the shaking of the ship. Millie had shoulder length blond hair and big deep blue eyes. She wore pink pants and a red jacket over a white shirt.

"I think that one is still trying to help us but doesn't have full control. Look, it's attacking the enemy!" Canal noticed.

Seeing as the other ships slowed down for some reason, Zelas took it as an opportunity to attack. She tried to aim for the dark ships and fired without hitting the Swordbreaker.

"Alright, we've recovered from the scrambler beam!" Canal announced to her crew. "Kain, are you ready? We need to fire the psy-cannon at full power right at Darkstar. It should be enough to loosen his grip on that ship. We won't be able to free the others, but we can take that ship with us and regroup!"

"I'm ready!" Kain announced with valiant determination. The captain of the Swordbreaker was a young man with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes, who had a liking for a style of clothes that would best fit a different world that he had never been to. His clothing was white, with gray boots, brown belts and a black cape. Kain focused all his energy of courage, powering the Swordbreaker's main psy-cannon. "Fire!"

A beam of bright white light emerged from the Swordbreaker and flew past the four dark ships and towards Darkstar, hitting the target and loosening his grip on Zelas. 'Now's my chance!' Zelas willed herself to move away from Darkstar, trying to open a path for herself beyond the four dark ships. They were damaged, but so was she. Her missiles stopped responding and soon so did her lasers. She was out of energy and ammunition to attack, but she could still move. 

"Kain, we need to retreat! We don't have the power to detach the other two ships of the next world from Darkstar," Canal reminded.

"Right, we'll regroup, repair, restock on weapons and come back later." Kain looked at the violet and gold ship in the main monitor. "We'll be back with a new ally once we get that ship fixed."

"Is it okay to trust it though? Doesn't it seem kind of similar to a dark lost ship?" Millie warned.

"It is," Canal confirmed. "I believe it is the equivalent of a dark lost ship from the other world, but it's Darkstar's enemy too. We'll have to be careful, of course."

"Right, we'll discuss this in detail once we're out of here and at a safe distance," Kain concluded. "Make jump calculations."

"Already done!" Canal announced. "I don't think that ship can follow us, even if I send in the jump coordinates, it doesn't have a lot of control yet. It existed in a different form in it's own world, so we'll have to try something else."

"Whatever we do, it has to be fast!" Millie urged. "It looks like the dark ships are recovering their formation!"

To be Continued


	13. Chapter 13

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 037: Explanations! Mysteries Of The Lost Universe

Canal moved the Swordbreaker closer to Zelas' vessel. "Hey! Sorry for the lack of explanations," she sent out a transmission. "But we need to retreat in a hurry right now, so let's save the official introductions for later. Stay still and let me attach some cables to you. Power down your engines and allow me to pull you out of here."

Zelas didn't fully understand the thing about engines, but she opposed no resistance to the cables being attached to her vessel. She interpreted the part about powering down engines as meaning to relax and not resist the pull, so she did so. The next thing she knew, she was moving very fast, it was like traveling top speed through the astral side, but at the same time different. When it ended, she felt that she was in an entirely different location far away and the enemy was no where to be seen in the endless calm starry blackness. She was saved... by an ally of Vorfeed... 

She was alive and had managed a retreat, albeit with more difficulties than planned. Yet somehow, after that fiasco of a battle, that could only be described more so as a struggle than a fight, all of this felt like defeat. Even so, Zelas held onto the hope that she did have some decent amount of power in her, the power that Darkstar wanted to himself. If he was that strong, he wouldn't need to go through all that trouble to increase his power, he wouldn't need to worry about opposition. She had to be powerful, even if she changed shape. The great power she commanded in her world couldn't have disappeared. It still had to exist in a different form; she just had to learn how to use it.

"Alright, we're safe now," Canal transmitted. "If it's okay, we'll board you for a closer examination."

'Board?' Zelas thought, she assumed they meant enter the vessel. "Fine..." 

Zelas remained still as the Swordbreaker docked her vessel and Canal, followed by Kain and Millie headed towards the door. Canal reached for the violet surface adorned with golden details that gave the ship a regal look. "Can you open this for us?" 

A moment passed and Zelas focused on the area, until she opened a small door, allowing the three to enter. Canal was in truth contained in the Swordbreaker's systems, but she could project a solid hologram of herself, which could interact with the physical world. Kain looked around the ship and observed the box that was on the captain's chair. "There's no one here, but I wonder what's in that box." It was wrapped with a sort of handkerchief with little pictures of wolves.

"Kain, don't touch anything!" Millie cautioned. 

Canal waited for the AI of the system to appear, but she didn't seem to be showing up. She, because her voice had sounded female, but by the time a transmission was exchanged between them, Zelas' vessel was damaged and set to voice only, so they weren't sure what kind of image to expect. The image could be anything that the AI determined to be representative of herself. "Um... we're here. Let me introduce everyone officially. I'm Canal Vorfeed, the main computer of the ship Swordbreaker. This is Swordbreaker's captain, Kain Blueriver and first officer Millennium Nocturne, aka Millie."

"You are that ship?" Zelas' voice replied, "but you have a form beyond the vessel." She wondered if she could do that.

"Yes, you may also be equipped with the same solid hologram technology I have. Just a moment..." Canal approached the main control panel and sunk into it like a ghost. "Okay now, focus. You are the vessel but you can have another form and interact with the physical world as long as you are in range. There we go..." Canal returned from beyond the control panel, once again assuming a solid appearance.

Following her there was a woman with tan skin and long platinum hair with a silvery shine to it. Her eyes were silver with piercing long pupils and her ears were long and pointy. She wore a white greek-style dress with slits on the sides up to her thighs and golden jewelry, bracelets, hoop earrings and ankles above bare feet. Her finger nails and toenails were slightly pointy, with her finger nails being long, all painted silver with swirls of glittery gold. "I am Beast Master Zelas Metallium," she introduced herself. She thought that the ship itself should also have a name and, after a moment of thought decided to call it, "Great Beast, that is the name of my ship."

"So this is what a lost ship from another world looks like," Millie observed her with curiosity.

"She does have an exotic style to her," Kain admitted. "It's too bad she doesn't have a cape though."

Millie rolled her eyes, "you're the only one who's obsessed with capes!"

"Capes are rather common in my world," Zelas commented. This was an odd bunch she had run into. "Speaking of which, this world is quite different." She maintained a regal and composed attitude, showing no weakness even if her vessel was in shambles and Swordbreaker could easily kill her if Canal so decided it.

"From what Vorfeed had told me, it is," Canal agreed. She noticed that Zelas' interest increased at the mention of the name and the fact that she had been told about the other world. "I suppose explanations are in order. We might as well start the story from the very beginning, the origin of Darkstar. A long time ago there were two groups of people that fought each other for a long time. One of them created Darkstar, a program capable of preying on people's fear via their brain waves. That program was contained in the ship Dugradigdu."

Zelas listened to the explanation, taking in every detail. The whole situation made her feel oddly identified with Gourry and his eternal confusion. She deduced, rather than ask, that a program was perhaps similar to an astral being, thus making the relation between Darkstar and the vessel called Dugradigdu similar to Canal and Swordbreaker and to herself with her vessel. There was one thing however that she simply had to ask about. "What do you mean by two groups of people?"

"Two opposing halves of a civilization," Canal clarified, though the answer was so simple she had to conclude that she didn't understand the real question. "Their identities were lost in time."

That only made the situation more confusing for Zelas. "You're saying that the lord of darkness of this world was created by its own living creatures, rather than being there since the formation of the world itself?"

"The lord of darkness, as you called him, was in a sense here, in the shape of fear and negative emotions. Perhaps he was destined to be personified as Darkstar," Canal explained.

"I see," so the story of the over-world, albeit similar in some ways to the story of Zelas' own world, had some vital differences. Yet it all went down to the living creatures of the world being the main event in many ways. "That comes as a surprise... Do go on."

Canal was also curious to hear more about Zelas' world. "The ship Dugradigdu was occupied with the physical systems that contained Darkstar. The machines that spread fear across the galaxy and prayed on it were very large and Dugradigdu had little room for anything else. Because of that, his systems were mostly basic defenses and not strong in the offensive. To make up for it, five escort ships were created, the battle ships Gorun Nova, Galveira, Bodigar, Nezard and Ragudo Mezegis. Those ships used the mind as a power source trapping the people who captained them and subjecting them to terrible nightmares to extract their energy. They went out of control and destroyed their creators. Then they continued their destruction in other galaxies." 

'The conflict really is inevitable,' Zelas mused. 'The people of this world took on the roles of light and dark upon themselves and even created them anew.'

"To defend themselves from Darkstar, another ship was build called Swordbreaker with its main system, Vorfeed, that drew strength from the power of hope." Canal revealed. "There was a great battle and both sides suffered vast damage, seemingly destroying each other. That was long ago and as time passed, those ships that participated in that war came to be known as lost ships. None of the ships that were constructed afterwards could match their advanced technology and prowess. Many years passed and the lost ship Dugradigdu along with its escorts were found by a human boy. Darkstar influenced his mind and cause him to become the leader of the mafia syndicate Nightmare. He created a copy of himself to be as his most trusted helper, however, that cloned human vessel was overtaken by Darkstar, becoming as an alternate vessel for him."

"Years passed and the sides of darkness and light did battle again." Canal's voice was becoming stressed with emotion at this point. "The Swordbreaker had been reactivated as well, by a young woman called Alicia. She sacrificed herself to give her very life as power for the Swordbreaker to stop Nightmare, albeit only temporarily. Years passed and Vorfeed..." The narration became more personal. "She was so heartbroken and guilty about Alicia," Kain was staring at the floor as Canal went on. "She stayed in the background and made a copy of herself to provide her usual functions to the Swordbreaker; that was me, Canal Vorfeed. With Kain as my new captain and power source we fought Nightmare, but I sustained damage and..."

Canal went silent and Kain continued. "After Canal was nearly destroyed due to the damage to the Swordbreaker, Vorfeed resurface. She and I went to challenge Darkstar a final time. That was when I learned how the dispute of Darkstar's creators began. Some suspected that the world was too still and that the natural disasters that had been happening in their home planet were due to a being from beyond the world itself plotting to destroy it and create it anew. The opposing group accused the first of somehow summoning that being, though they insisted it was a natural reaction to stagnation. Then a war began between them. A cult called Nightmare claimed that living a challenging life was the only way to live at all, but they took it to the extreme with harsh attacks. Ultimately, their planet was destroyed by Darkstar."

"Yet this world continues to exist," Zelas commented. So there was a planet around after all. The way Kain said their planet made her think there were actually more than one, perhaps many, though she wasn't sure what to expect of them. "It was true; I do believe the Lord of Nightmares would have destroyed the world and recreated it if it remained stagnant. It would be useless in a sense to keep it still, without evolution or growth." Kain tensed at Zelas' words, but she did not stop. "However," she clarified, "destruction is only another form of stagnation, of silence, stillness. Darkstar's mission was corrupted and turned into that, am I right?"

"Yes," Canal confirmed.

"A challenge is needed," Zelas ascertained, "but killing off all the participants of that challenge only means the end of the challenge. He should have followed my example and simply tortured the world eternally," she chuckled.

Kain let out a breath, yet ironically his uneasiness seemed to lessen. A villain bent on giving people a hard life he could handle, what he feared the most was total emptiness, absolute death. "You really are what they called monster lord in your world."

"Yes indeed," Zelas chuckled. "I am curious to know how you are aware of certain things from my world, but I want to hear the end of your story first. Darkstar did visit our world before and was apparently defeated, though obviously, that impression wasn't quite accurate. How does all of that fit in?"

"It was all a part of that last battle," Kain revealed. "Vorfeed was with me in the battered remains of the Swordbreaker, while Canal was just barely there, but unable to function. When Darkstar brought up the story about the end of the world, Vorfeed lost hope and thought it would be useless to keep fighting continually, because a victory for her would still be a defeat if the world became stagnant and was destroyed. She thought she wouldn't be able to establish a kind of peace that wouldn't weaken the living creatures of the galaxies by ending their evolution and eventually lessening their will to live. However, she still wanted to spare me. Darkstar granted her that much in exchange for her power. Even though it was clear he intended to betray her, Vorfeed was too distraught to think clearly. When their power united, it somehow sent out a wave of energy that restored Swordbreaker and Canal. Then the next thing I knew, Darkstar and Vorfeed were gone."

'That wave of energy, it must have been fusion magic, or this world's equivalent of it,' Zelas thought. 

Canal continued the narration from there. "Not sure of what exactly happened; Kain and I regrouped with Millie and waited to try to find out what went on. Overall, there seemed to be peace, so we thought maybe Darkstar was destroyed when Vorfeed's core programming went into him, yet it couldn't have been that simple and we found no traces of them. Unknown to us at the time, there was a group of people from a far off planet, seeking to get rid of Darkstar by summoning him to a different world. We didn't even consider the existence of such a place before. After Gorun Nova, Galveira, Bodigar, Nezard and Ragudo Mezegis fell in that final struggle, those people took their remains and sent them to the other world in preparation to summon Darkstar there. However, something went wrong and the five were somehow sent back in time to the past of your world." Canal paused, wondering if Zelas believed all of that. It was true, but it could be hard to believe.

"Instances of time travel are extremely rare, but a few peculiar occasions have reached my knowledge." Thinking back on it, Zelas realized that they had been somehow linked to the weapons of light, such as that peculiar incident involving Rowdy Gabriev. "That would explain why Gorun Nova, that took the form of a sword of light in my world, was in the possession of the Gabriev family for generations before the events of the Darkstar prophecy. Everything fits so far, but what came after and how did you find out about all this?"

"After Darkstar was defeated in your world, he and Vorfeed were not killed, but rather sent back to this world where they were reborn in a sense." Canal's reasoning fit with the effects of fusion magic as it happened with Val. Albeit of course, there would be differences given the fact that Darkstar and Vorfeed were of a very different nature than Val. "However, they remained united as their programs inhabited the same vessel, Dugradigdu. As for Darkstar's alternate human vessel, it was destroyed, but his main vessel had always been Dugradigdu, so that didn't affect him. The escort ships, known in your world as the weapons of light, were returned to our world by the same group that plotted to send Darkstar to yours. They intended to reprogram them and use them for good, but they ultimately rebelled and escaped." 

"One's identity is the most important thing," Zelas acknowledged. "I wouldn't be surprised if they would rather be destroyed than brain washed." She assumed that brain washing was what reprogramming meant, or something similar.

Canal nodded in understanding. "As an AI I can understand their necessity to preserve themselves. I just wish they had the ability to change, to make their own choices based on the present rather than simply follow their initial instruction. Yet that awakening is something that few AIs can do. It is to become truly alive."

Zelas was reminded of some of the other monsters in her world and how they had no desires beyond following what they mistakenly thought to be their purpose for existing. Actually, it happened with some dragons too and even humans in certain situations. She had to agree that such a life without choice wasn't truly being alive. Those who simply accepted duties because of an invisible rule that pushed them towards them were not really alive. They were very different from those who chose to accept their duties because of their personal convictions.

"Darkstar remained dormant along with Vorfeed in the depths of space for some time and we didn't even know where they were," Canal continued. "Then something happened, a strange force, or rather a remnant fragment of a once powerful being, empowered Darkstar and he went on the attack. He wanted more power; he didn't want anyone to oppose him in his quest of destruction. Thus with Vorfeed as his prisoner, he set out to make the greatest powers of darkness of the other world his own. You know what comes next after that. As for my knowing all this, it's because I have a limited level of communication with Vorfeed, as we used to be originally the same being. I can't talk to her all the time, but now and then she tells me things."

"Well, now that you've heard the rundown of what's happened so far, I'm sure you won't mind telling us a little about your world," Millie requested with curiosity. "You can start by revealing the contents of that mysterious box that's on the captain's chair. My instinct as the best detective in the universe tells me that it has something important!"

"This?" Zelas picked up the box, surprised that it was even still there. "I was only projecting a portion of myself into the physical world, though I knew that when I was summoned here, retreating to the astral side would be useless anyway." Judging by their expressions, she would have to explain a little more about the details of the astral side. "I was holding on to this on the astral side and could thus pull it into the physical world at any time; it is an item of the physical world though. It is a..."

Kain, Millie and Canal stared at the mysterious box as Zelas removed the wolf printed handkerchief that covered it. "It is a what?" They chorused in suspense.

"It is a secret!" Zelas exclaimed and the other three fell back. Then she added, somewhat amused despite the situation surrounding the scene. "Actually, it's not really a secret, it's only a boxed lunch, see?" She opened the box to reveal her delicious cooking inside. "I'm surprised traveling between the worlds didn't harm it, or at least it looks alright."

"Some instinct, eh Millie?" Kain teased.

"Oh be quiet, I was right. I am the best chef in the universe after all. The opportunity to try cuisine of another world is important to me," Millie defended.

"You mean the best chef of this universe," Zelas corrected. "I dare you to try the cooking of the best chef of the other world!"

"I gladly rise to the challenge!" Millie tried the food, it had some kind of meat she had never seen before as the center piece. "This is amazing! It's completely out of this world and I don't just mean that literally. I must know the recipe!" 

"Let me try it!" Kain insisted and took some of the food. "Wow! Do give Millie the recipe for this; I wouldn't mind having it every day!"

"Even if I give you the recipe, every chef has a special cooking style for a unique touch, so it wouldn't be the same." Zelas was amused by the odd bunch she had encountered. They kind of reminded her of Lina and her friends, so maybe she wasn't so bad off in their company after all. "If you're curious, it's dragon cuisine."

"You mean that's what it's called or actual dragons invented the original recipe?" Kain inquired. "Sorry if it's an odd question, but your world sounds so different that I wouldn't immediately disregard the existence of real dragons that can cook."

Zelas chuckled, "in my world dragons are real and they are capable of taking alternate human-like forms. They can cook too and they have their own recipes as do all cultures, but that's not what I meant. This is dragon meat. I brought it along to snack on while I waited for the inevitable summoning. I didn't need food, being astral, but I could enjoy it. Then I decided I would offer it to Milgazia, a dragon, to annoy him, but we were interrupted and time ran out."

Kain, Millie and Canal didn't even know what to say. Eating something capable of taking on a human-like form seemed wrong, even if the being in question was originally something else. That indicated that dragons were a civilized society. As a general rule, if a living creature is capable of being part of an organized civilization and has the ability of reasonable communication, even if it is foreign, then it should not be eaten. They also thought it was peculiar how anyone would want to annoy a dragon of all creatures. Yet to have taken the form of a lost ship in their world, Beast Master Zelas Metallium had to be powerful. This would be a very interesting alliance indeed.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 038: Family! Souls Are Stronger Than Blood

In the Slayers' world, Fang was with Fili Algar at the Seyruun courtyard when Filia, Val, Jillas, Elena, Palou, Gravos, Naga, Philionel, Amelia and Zelgadis exited the castle. Fang was in his monster fox form, playing with the smaller wolf-dog. "Fang," Filia voiced softly and Fang looked at her curiously. Algar went over to Val, whimpering as if asking what was wrong, wanting to console him. "Please take us to Sairaag." As it could be deduced by Fang's presence, Lina and Gourry were back. They were found at the royal kitchen and informed about the recent happenings as well. 

After their last goodbyes to Solex, his tragic fate finally felt absolute. There was no energy, no life, left for him to cling to that world. Sylphiel and Pokota were there as well. After it all ended, everyone returned home with heavy hearts.

xoxox xox xoxox

At Wolf Pack Island, to say Xellos was busy was a big understatement. For all the planning Beast Master put into her inevitable departure, a disarray still broke loose when it sunk in for her monsters that their master was gone. They couldn't even appeal to Dolphin or Dynast for protection because they were gone as well. "For the millionth time!" Xellos growled, losing his patience in a way that was very much unlike him. "The dragons are not going to attack. We have confirmed that they put practically all their energy into Darkstar's summoning of Beast Master, Dolphin and Dynast. They don't have the strength to fight and by the time they recover enough to make a move, Beast Master will be back and we'll be perfectly safe, so quit making such a fuss before I destroy you myself!"

The monsters were projected in various shapes and sizes, most resembling some type of land dwelling animal. They had gathered around Xellos asking him more questions than he cared to count. At his outburst, which sent ripples of dark energy to echo in the area around him, they backed off and quieted. At least they had a strong general priest to follow, but he would be gone soon too, off to join their master in battle. They could only wait for his swift return with their victorious master.

Xellos finished his trek down the hallway and slammed shut the large black double doors adorned with amethysts. "Eros..."

The monster that sat behind the large black desk looked up from his files. "My name is Erosnum; please do not use that terrible abbreviation. Do you have a task for me, Xellos?" His eyes only met Xellos for a moment before they returned to his papers. This was the monster in charge of handling Zelas' business matters with the humans under the guise of a business tycoon. His hair was violet, much like Xellos', albeit in a shorter style. A patch of cyan hair was located on the right side of his head and his eyes were golden with long pupils. His ears were long and elf-like; he wore a single earring on the left ear with a black dice with white dots. His rectangular glasses along with the earring were another of his prominent accessories. He wore a navy blue army-like uniform with a black tie, reminiscent of something that, in later eras, could be called a modern day attire.

"Yes," Xellos didn't even bother to close his eyes and put on a cheerful mask. He was pissed off; everyone knew it and it would serve no purpose to hide it. "Since you're so good at keeping things in order, keep things in order here when I'm gone."

Erosnum looked up from his papers once more and pushed up his glasses, a habit of his that he thought made his projection more realistic. "I will do that task if you must insist, but my forte lies in organizing numbers, I am Lord Beast Master's accountant, after all."

"You also have experience in dealing with human affairs and right now the monsters out the door are just as unruly as them. How could something that feeds on fear be so stressed, so afraid?" Xellos huffed mockingly. "They're so stupid; of course Beast Master is perfectly fine. We'll regroup in the over-world, gather power, destroy Darkstar and that will be that." He just had to keep telling himself that it would all happen exactly as planned. 

"Of course," Erosnum's voice seemed to be more so to fill in the silence than to confirm anything. "Although, isn't your trip to the over-world still not for a few days?"

Zelas didn't want her reinforcements to arrive in the middle of a battle that they couldn't handle. She wanted to make sure they could slip past Darkstar, so they had to wait a little while before they followed her. "I'm speeding things up." It wasn't exactly what Zelas had instructed, but it was all in her best interest and she did leave him in charge, Xellos internally reasoned. That meant that if he thought there was something that was better for her goals he should do it. Besides, Xellos was becoming very impatient. "The sooner this gets done the better. I'm leaving you to oversee matters at Wolf Pack Island in my absence."

"You believe I have the managerial skills to keep things together here?" Erosnum rhetorically inquired. "Very well, if that is your wish."

There was something off about Erosnum, Xellos quietly mused. He didn't say anything though; it was probably just the tension of the whole situation. The general priest nodded and teleported away. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos reappeared in the palace's private interior garden where he was greeted by Galathia. "Xellos, I finished watering Beast Master's flowers." The flowers were beautiful, but deadly. Inhaling their sweet aroma for too long could kill a human and inflict severe poisoning to a dragon, which would also result to be fatal if it was not immediately treated. "The low ranked monster that usually takes care of the garden had a nervous breakdown and went into hiding. It's so hard to find capable servants sometimes. Ah, you look so terribly stressed. No need to worry, our amazing leader is just fine, I'm sure."

Xellos chuckled lightly. "At least someone is optimistic... It's a sad day when a monster so openly welcomes optimism of all things."

"Let's call it confidence then," Galathia suggested. "Even better, let's call it pride."

"Pride it is," Xellos agreed. "I've decided to leave early. Eros holds a high enough rank to oversee things here at Wolf Pack Island. Lieutenants Zenki and Neuro are busy running around all over the world, making sure we don't lose any territories anywhere. I want you to keep an eye on Eros."

"His chosen projection is rather pleasing to the eyes," Galathia voiced. "But he's not as hot as dragons, not even close. There's just something about fleshly creatures that makes their attractive features more attractive. Take Milgazia for example-"

"Galathia, focus," Xellos reminded, though with little scorn. At least Galathia was loyal; he couldn't doubt that, even if she was odd. Erosnum was capable, but Xellos' instinct didn't feel the same loyalty he perceived from certain others.

"Right, right, Erosnum is okay to look at, I'll be glad to keep even both eyes on him," Galathia assured. 

"Make sure you do," Xellos teleported away again. He had to talk to Celo about speeding up the trip to the over-world.

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos reappeared in an area of the surface of Wolf Pack Island where only a few were allowed. It was right above the laboratory below ground. The space held a large circular platform with many gears under it that remained still for the time being. Runes were carved into the borders of the circle and jewels containing chaotic energy levitated round about the magical device. Celo was busily checking over everything over and over, continuously making sure that everything was in working order. He didn't even notice Xellos was there until he spoke, "Celo."

Celo looked away from his examination and at Xellos, "yes?"

"Get everything ready," Xellos commanded. "I'll get Lina and the others and we're leaving."

"It is not yet time," Celo politely reminded.

"Isn't the machine done?" Xellos demanded impatiently.

"Yes," Celo begun, "but Lord Beast Master said-"

"Lord Beast Master left me in charge," Xellos interrupted. "I'm not going to let you risk the mission. I know you're the only one who can serve as a sacrifice. The energy of a monster to open the path to the astral side and from there, the energy of the power between darkness and light, of a human, to break into the over-world."

"You forget the other aspect that is needed," Celo reminded. "The power of a strong wish. My wish to serve Lord Beast Master. Any other monster human chimera who doesn't hold a strong enough wish wouldn't be able to do this."

"Then why are you stalling?" Xellos argued, his eyes now open and glaring. "Do you not have confidence in your wish? Would you not give up your life for Beast Master? Are you still bitter about your dragon?"

"Xellos Metallium," Celo glared, his eyes were a mirror of Xellos' eyes and somehow his long black hair seemed to spike slightly as his expression changed and his vampire-style fangs became more prominent. "Tiffany willingly sacrificed herself to fuel the defeat of the Stillness over a year ago. I am aware of the fact that Beast Master did not pressure her into it; she was the one who volunteered. Besides, it was Lord Beast Master who allowed me to be with her in the first place, just as she allows you to be with Filia. Another monster lord might not have permitted it. Do not," Celo growled, emphasizing every word. "Do not doubt my devotion to our master or, I must, Xellos, regardless of our difference in rank, confess that I will lose all the respect I have for you."

A tense pause hung in the air. Then Xellos' face morphed to his usual cheery smile. "I see, so you do have a strong conviction." At least he could count on that much. "However, I must insist that we leave early. My business here is complete. Everything is set up for my absence."

Celo sighed, his face taking on a more human appearance. "To be perfectly honest, I keep checking over this contraption because I can't wait to use it. It is true that it will mean my death, but I wish for Beast Master's backup to be with her as soon as possible. If she called for such a plan, it's because she knows she'll need an ace up her sleeve and I don't want her to go without it."

"Then it is decided," Xellos concluded.

Celo nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's do this. I'll be here at the ready. Gather the elite that Beast Master has chosen and march into battle."

xoxox xox xoxox

Back at Seyruun, Val had finally fallen asleep after much sorrow. Filia needed a moment to herself and went out for a short walk. "Miss Filia," she heard a voice she didn't quite recognize calling out to her and turned around.

She looked at the man, who was dressed like royalty. Then she perceived his true nature, her senses somewhat slow after all she had endured. "You're a dragon." She stated with a mix of perplexity and alarm. What would a dragon unknown to her be doing in Seyruun?

"Yes," he confirmed. "A black dragon, if you want to be specific. My name is Topaz Ebony. You are a dragon as well and a friend of princess Amelia, correct?" Topaz shifted uncomfortably, which puzzled Filia. 

"Yes," Filia's senses were more alert now. Topaz was obviously uneasy; he kept looking over his shoulder and shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other. 

"I would like to speak to you, if you don't mind, privately," Topaz requested.

Filia wasn't sure what this was about, but she intended to find out. "Very well, please come this way." She motioned towards a lonely alley, inviting him to walk in first so as to not box herself in. 

Topaz eyed the alley with distaste. "Ah, I was thinking about somewhere more comfortable. Perhaps a tea room, a nice cafe, the castle courtyard, or somewhere similar."

"You're urgent, aren't you?" Filia's tone and expression made it obvious that she was suspicious of him.

Topaz let out a nervous shaky breath and nodded. He walked into the alley, to where the people walking down the streets wouldn't see them. Filia walked in after him and stood impatient. "Miss Filia, I will be direct, as I know there is no point in trying to trick you. I want you to assure the dragon council that everything is alright and that the incident with Luna was only the doings of the monsters. Because of your..." how could he express it in proper terms? "Your connections with the monster race, they'll believe you."

"What incident? What happened to Luna?" Filia demanded, her mind suddenly going on overdrive.

"Please, calm yourself, Miss Filia!" Topaz begged. "I... I will tell you the truth. After us dragons gave our energy for the purpose of ridding the world of the monster lords, Luna... she... She started acting strangely. She said that 'he' didn't care if his plans were known anymore so she could tell us, that 'he' wouldn't stop her. From what she said, apparently she was being controlled by Darkstar and the one speaking through Luna's body wasn't even Luna herself, but Vorfeed who had been taken prisoner by Darkstar."

"What!?" Filia exclaimed. "And with all that you want me to tell everyone that everything is okay?"

"Please," Topaz begged in desperation, "Miss Filia-"

"That's Mrs. Metallium to you," Filia growled. She didn't normally call herself that, but she said it to spite Topaz because she was pretty sure it would bother him.

"Right..." Topaz couldn't help it but to wrinkle his nose. "Mrs. Metallium, I'm only trying to prevent a panic from spreading. We gave our energy to the Knight of Ceifeed so she would rid us of the terrible monsters and the dragon race is in a weak state right now. Even the strongest warriors are exhausted and we'll all need a long rest to recover our magical capabilities."

"So that's why your energy feels so weak," Filia realized. "You're drained too."

"Yes," Topaz nervously admitted. "I am no threat to you, not that I mean you any harm anyway. I just want to reassure everyone at the council. I'm only a victim too!" It was a lie; a desperate lie after Darkstar abandoned him. "Luna, I mean Vorfeed, said that Darkstar intended to destroy her world and then ours, then she left Luna's body soon after saying such awful things. She didn't explain herself or anything, she just left. Everyone felt that pain that came when the monsters were taken to the over-world. They think that was really Vorfeed telling the truth, but that can't be. Luna was just exhausted, right? A monster possessed her out of spite and tried to scare us, right?"

Filia's temper was reaching a critical point. It was a good thing for Topaz that she wasn't aware of his close involvement with Darkstar and his plans to sacrifice the over-world for the sake of their own world. "How dare you? The danger is very real and the warning is exactly what's going on! I'm not going to lie to the dragons so that they can be sitting ducks. Everyone should be preparing for the worse."

"But what can we do?" Topaz cried. "Isn't our only choice to live our lives as best we can and hope Darkstar takes a long time in conquering the over-world? We can't fight in our current state. We can't do anything. Please, I want to live out what's left of my short life in peace, that's all we have left. Come back to your people and do them this one favor. Grant them this mercy and redeem yourself!"

A loud hit echoed through the alley. Topaz was a dragon and thus had a very tough skull, even in human form, so a blow like that wouldn't kill him. Filia also held back enough not to knock him out, she wanted him to hear her and hear her he would, like it or not. However, a stream of blood still flowed from his head down the sides of his face from where Filia hit him with her mace. "Redeem myself you say? Just what do you mean by that?"

Topaz had fallen to the ground from the impact and he was too dazed to get up. "You... your people... the dragons... Isn't blood thicker than water?" He babbled.

"You know what, Mr. Ebony? I used to think so, but I was wrong." Filia's voice was rather even despite her anger. "I loved my dragon family, they were not perfect, but I loved them and I've forgiven their mistakes. However, I realized that I didn't love them simply because we were related, but because of who they were. They raised me, they showed me kindness and they were good people. That is worth so much more than the insignificance of sharing a common family name. The precious memories, the good times, the support, the loyalty, that and not blood, is a true family bond. I love Val and it doesn't matter that he's not related to me, he's my son and nothing can change that."

"My people are the people who I love and the people who love me," Filia's tone slowly went from harsh and serious to fond and loving as she thought of those closest to her. "That includes dragons, humans, beastmen, elves and even monsters. What we are born as is not something we can change; it is a matter of chance that deserves no merits. Who we become, finding a way to make the best of what we were born as, rather than being limited by it, is what deserves merit. It doesn't matter what we are, no one chooses that, no one earns it. But who we are is something we must choose, earn and reestablish every single day of our whole lives. It is our evolution, our persona, our truth."

Topaz could only nod to everything that Filia said. His head was pounding with severe pain, so his mind wasn't clear enough to reflect on her words too deeply. Yet somehow, he knew she was right. What he didn't tell her was that the dragons were after him specifically, intent on interrogating him and holding him on trial. He had lost hope, but he didn't want to spend what was left of his life in jail, if he couldn't convince the council that he was a victim, which was looking pretty hard. He could even be executed if they caught a hint of what really went on. Topaz was willing to sacrifice the over-world selfishly, but he didn't mean to endanger his own world. He was supposed to be living the life of a hero.

Suddenly, Filia turned around in alarm and gripped her mace. "Show yourself!" Topaz didn't understand what was going on. His senses were still numb from his loss of energy and more so after the harsh blow to the head.

The monster that lurked about in the astral side revealed himself. "Bravo, bravo!" He clapped in a mocking sarcastic gesture. "That was quite the speech, Mrs. Metallium." The last part was filled with bitterness.

Filia glared, she had been so focused on Topaz and what he said that she didn't even notice the eavesdropper until now. She did recognize him and she thought that she should feel relieved that she knew who he was, but her instinct was still on edge. "Erosnum, why are you here? Do you have a message from Xellos?"

"Jarde or any other monster messenger bird would suffice for such a simple task," Erosnum huffed.

"Then why are you here?" Filia insisted, with the urgency in her voice growing.

"I'm not here for you," Erosnum looked behind Filia at Topaz. "I am here for the traitorous Mr. Ebony."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 039: Traitor! Never Give Up, Never Surrender

"Traitorous?" Filia questioned Erosnum. She understood if he was angry at all those from the dragon race who participated in the summoning of the monster lords by donating their energy to the cause. They were trying to do what they thought was best for the world and years ago, before the Darkstar prophecy, Filia would have been standing beside them doing the very same thing. But why was Erosnum apparently angry at Topaz specifically? What made him different from the other dragons?

"The fool was tricked you see," Erosnum revealed. "He wanted to sacrifice the over-world and live peacefully in our world. Of course, this world will become the target of Darkstar once the over-world is finished."

Filia gasped, "you were aware of that? You knew the over-world was to be sacrificed and you allowed it?" Her anger towards Topaz rose. Being tricked was certainly not the same as sacrificing innocent people. "What about the others?"

"The dragon council you mean?" Erosnum interjected, even if Filia's question had been directed at Topaz, who seemed to be too afraid to speak anyway. "Ignorant fools, the lot of them. They had no idea what would happened to the over-world. They honestly thought Luna had managed to establish communications with Vorfeed, who intended to repay this world for defeating Darkstar during the prophecy by getting rid of the monster lords."

Filia let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. "Then their intentions were not bad."

"What does it matter?" Erosnum huffed. "The result was the same anyway.

"Of course it matters!" Filia argued. "I wouldn't want to think that the dragon council would actually sacrifice the over-world. I thought they had learned from past mistakes and were doing better now. They were tricked, but being tricked is very different from being selfish enough to sacrifice a whole different world."

"Even if that's what the dwellers of the over-world wanted for us," Erosnum reminded.

Filia frowned, "maybe not all of them. We only encountered a small group during the prophecy after all," she reasoned.

"Either way, it makes no difference to me. I will end this useless banter now," Erosnum decided. "I did not come here to speak with you. If you'll excuse me, I have an execution to carry out."

"Wait!" As angry as she was at Topaz, Filia managed to hold on to her use of reason and her mercy. She gave up on explaining mercy to Erosnum and went straight for the logical uses of keeping Topaz alive. "Shouldn't we interrogate him?"

Erosnum chuckled mockingly. "We? You speak as if we were on the same side."

"Well..." Filia shook her head and tried to guide the argument back into the main topic. She was with Xellos, but more often than not, she didn't like the way Zelas did things. She was in-between in a sense not fully allied to the light or darkness, she was looking for a balance, but that would take too long to try to explain. Furthermore, Erosnum wouldn't understand if he was unwilling to do so. "Never mind that, if Topaz is interrogated, useful information can be gained. Besides, he is not to be solely blamed for what happened to Lord Beast Master." She spoke carefully concerning the topic of the monster lord, addressing her in a respectful tone so as to not anger Erosnum.

The monster accountant laughed. "You still don't get it, do you? This isn't about Topaz at all; it is about you, my messenger."

Filia's eyes went wide with alarm and confusion. "Me?" What could Erosnum want with her? "What do you mean by messenger?"

"It is merely convenient that Topaz is here, I never liked the fool," Erosnum admitted. "However, a random person from this city would suffice; Seyruun and its inconvenient shape cannot stop a monster of my rank after all. To put it simply, my messenger, I wanted to rattle you before I sent you on your way."

"What?" Filia gripped her mace with both hands and held it in front of her in a defensive position. "What do you intend to do? Xellos... Does he know you're here?"

"He doesn't, but you'll tell him, won't you?" Erosnum grinned evilly, then faded away. Filia could feel him moving in close proximity through the astral side and shot her laser breath at him. Yet the monster moved too fast and dodged it, reappearing behind her and lifting Topaz by the throat. 

Filia couldn't risk hitting Topaz with her laser breath point blank. "Let him go!"

"Sure," Topaz didn't have the strength to scream in pain, especially with Erosnum gripping his throat ever tighter. The monster's grip closed with inhuman strength as Filia desperately dashed towards them. But there was nothing she could do. The sickening sound of a broken bone rung in her ears as Erosnum gripped Topaz's neck so tightly that it broke. Filia froze as Erosnum, dropped Topaz's limp body to the ground. His head was twisted grotesquely at in impossible angle, attached to the body only by the skin. "There, I let him go." He mocked Filia's distraught form as the golden dragon fell to her knees in horror.

"You..." Filia sobbed, "you're terrible..."

"Listen to me, little dragon," Erosnum's expression was the image of cruel evil. "I was tired of Beast Master's playful ways. I was sick of how she toyed with the world instead of destroying it. She might have been amused by it, but I wasn't. I'm glad that Darkstar will finally destroy the world. I can't wait for it to happen. I am little more than an observer in the grander scheme of things, so I've decided to have a little fun while I can. I won't kill you; I wouldn't want Xellos to come after me. Even if he's in a hurry to leave, he'll hunt me down to avenge you. But if I spare you, he'll delegate the task of my punishment to someone else, I'm sure." Erosnum knew he couldn't handle Xellos in a fight, or manage to hide from him for too long. But he was confident he could avoid any others." 

"I know how everything works, Xellos will take you, Lina and her little friends and run off to save Beast Master only to find that she has already been destroyed by Darkstar; then they'll be destroyed as well. I'm still an observer though, but I can at least pledge my alliance to the stronger side and be proud of my rebellion even if it doesn't change anything in reality. Run, little dragon, allow me to get back at Zelas for the disappointment, even if it is just a little. Run and tell your monster lover about all I've said and done here." With those final instructions that he knew Filia would inevitably follow, Erosnum disappeared.

For a long moment, Filia could only shake and sob uncontrollably. At least the whole dreadful event wasn't too loud or destructive of the surrounding area. She didn't want to cause more unease to the people of Seyruun. Shaking in fear and frustration, Filia dashed out of the alley and towards her home. "Everyone!" She shouted, "go to the castle, now!"

Jillas came rushing over, alarmed, "boss, what's happening?"

"I'll explain soon," Filia urged, "wake the kids and go, hurry!" She would leave her family in the safety of the castle with guards and mages at the ready. She would tell Amelia about what happened and the princess would send guards to have Topaz's body removed from the alley before an unsuspecting civilian found it. Filia would ask Amelia to send word to Milgazia about Topaz and very swiftly, she would go to Wolf Pack Island. She would summon Jarde, have him get Fang and she would teleport there. She had to tell Xellos about what happened. She didn't understand why Erosnum actually wanted her to tell him, but she had to tell him. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at Dragon's Peak, Milgazia had gone to oversee a few things concerning his clan. He was about to leave to meet with Lina and was already in Dragon form, ready to speedily fly to Seyruun. However, another golden dragon older than him approached and landed near by. "Lord Milgazia!"

"Senator Ilumina," Milgazia acknowledged him.

"Has word reached you about what happened with the Knight of Ceifeed? About the tragedy?" Orion Ilumina inquired urgently. His scales were of a paler gold than Milgazia, hinting at his golden and white dragon mixed heritage, though he was mostly golden dragon.

"Yes," Milgazia confirmed. That was the reason why he rushed back to his clan, postponing his intentions to meet with Lina and her allies. 

"The way you refused to cooperate, how could you have known that it would end in disaster?" Mr. Ilumina held a hint of reproach in his voice. He too had given up his energy for what he thought was a noble cause. 

"I didn't really know, I just felt uneasy about the whole thing, but no one would have listened to me anyway." Milgazia pointed out truthfully. Though protocol demanded that he paid attention to the senator, he was in a bit of a hurry and wanted to keep their conversation short.

"I suppose you're right," Orion accepted. He never liked monsters and especially hated them after his daughter, Celestina, was killed by Fibrizo. Though she somehow returned after his defeat, she distanced herself from everyone and Orion knew that wasn't Celestina, but rather, someone taking on her form. It was a mystery that Lina and her companions had solved last year when they discovered that the false Celestina was just another of the many disguises of the Lord of Nightmares. "You were inside the monster barrier for so long and sometimes your ways seem radical to the more traditional dragons of the outer continents. However, your instinct, though hard to understand at times, has not failed yet. That is why I wish to ask for your opinion on the matter of Luna."

"Her body is being kept in suspended animation until we are certain that she is herself, isn't it?" Milgazia inquired, that was how things were the last he heard of her. "Has she sown any hint of a flow of energy within her?"

"No, her body is empty of a soul it seems. It is alive as in with a beating heart, but there is nothing to animate it," Mr. Ilumina confirmed. "The council is discussing what to do with it. Some say that the Knight of Ceifeed has fallen, that she is in truth inevitably dead, and keeping an empty vessel alive like that will only provide the remnants of the monster race with the opportunity to possess her body and find a way to use it against us. They want to destroy the body."

"They cant!" Milgazia argued. "The fact that her body is still alive could mean that her soul was only removed. It wouldn't be the first time a soul is moved away from its original body. What if Luna's soul is being contained somewhere? If it is found, then it can be restored to her body. Darkstar will eventually come here and the dragon race barely has any energy left to stand. We need the Knight of Ceifeed as our ally."

Orion nodded, deciding to accept what Milgazia thought was best. "The council is frightened though. A meeting will take place soon. Even if you, me, and a few others vote in favor of preserving Luna's body, it is likely that we will be outvoted. We'll have to prove that the possibility of Luna's recovery is real, but I can't think of how to accomplish that."

Milgazia held a look of determination. He couldn't let the dragons make any more mistakes, even if they were well intended. "We'll just have to protect her then."

Mr. Ilumina continued sharing his worries. "What if we can't find Luna's soul, or if it really has been destroyed? Perhaps the monsters allied to Beast Master, Dolphin and Dynast will be bitter towards Darkstar because of the death of their leader at his hand to absorb their power, but the monsters formerly under the command of Fibrizo and Gaav may join him. In fact, the more cowardly monsters formerly allied to Zelas, Dolphin and Dynast might join him too. I imagine they must be rattled by the loss of their leaders, but it's only a matter of time before they realize the dragons are sitting ducks and go on the attack. What Darkstar wants is what the monster race as a whole wants, isn't it?"

"For some of them yes, maybe even for most," Milgazia agreed. "But not all of them though. My understanding is that Zelas wanted ongoing battles rather than total destruction. I'm not certain where Dolphin and Dynast stood on the matter, but Zelas might have influence them into adopting her views, or was trying to. Some of the monsters might be out to get revenge on Darkstar if given the opportunity. However, I don't think they would ally with us, they will likely fight alone, joining forces only with other monsters."

Orion gasped in shock. "Not that we would ally with monsters anyway, right?"

"That's how it was during the Darkstar prophecy," Milgazia reminded.

"What do you mean?" The perplexed senator inquired.

"Filia and Xellos, along with Amelia, Zelgadis and Gourry fought alongside Lina Inverse that time and their fusion magic was vital," Milgazia explained. "However, even for a common goal, neither the monsters nor the dragons as a whole will form an alliance, unless someone ordered groups to do so, but even if by some miracle we sway the council in such a way, there is no one to give the order to the monsters with the lords gone. They wouldn't take that kind of order from anyone else, it would be too much."

"So forming an alliance with the monsters against Darkstar checks out." Though it meant fewer resources in the long run, less ways to fight back, Orion was actually relieved that he didn't have to think about dealing with that. "What can we do then?"

Milgazia paused for a long moment until finally he spoke words that didn't exactly reassure Mr. Ilumina. "We will consult Lina Inverse."

"It makes me think about how resourceful humans really are. So short lived, so fragile, and yet they manage to shine brighter in less than a century than any other race would in many millennia. Lina this, Lina that, that human woman is everyone's wild card these days," Orion frowned.

"I can only hope she doesn't mind too much." Milgazia's tone made it clear that the discussion was over because of the more urgent mattered that needed to be attended. "Now, let us go free Luna."

"What?" Orion gasped. "You're not serious, are you?"

"If the council rules her case as hopeless, they will destroy her and Lina would be most displeased when she finds out," Milgazia argued. "The council is afraid and also many may argue about preventing further dishonor from happening upon the vessel of the Knight of Ceifeed if she is again overtaken by a spirit not her own. But I don't think we should give up on her just yet." Of course, Milgazia didn't really expect senator Ilumina to join him in this risky venture. "Go cast your vote and insist upon delivering your most eloquent speech in favor of preserving Luna. If we lose the votes, I will be at the ready to transport her to a safe location."

"But! That's!" Orion stumbled over his words, not even sure how to present his argument. "You'll be regarded as a criminal! I mean, if it works out, you'll certainly be forgiven and you'll even be a hero in the council's eyes. But what if it doesn't? The council cannot keep overlooking the radical things you do!"

"I'm not asking you to take any risks," Milgazia insisted. "This conversation never happened."

"I can understand and appreciate that much," Mr. Ilumina quieted slightly. "But..."

"Speak, express your concerns, the council will respect your right to do so. Leave the rest to me," Milgazia further reassured him.

"The place where Luna is kept isn't even close to the main meeting room of the dragon council," Orion emphasized. "You won't have time to fly there and break in before reinforcements arrive to stop you."

"I'll have plenty of time if I don't attend the voting." Luna's rescue was too risky to leave it in someone else's hands, so Milgazia intended to go personally. "The council won't accept my vote being delivered by someone else, but in the unlikely possibility that my vote makes the difference in saving Luna, I will send a representative to insist upon my right to cast it and you can provide backup in that. I'll rush back and vote in that situation. If not, as soon as I know we've lost, I'll commence the rescue mission. By the time the council gets there to share their verdict, I'll be gone."

Orion dared not argue with the risky plan as Milgazia seemed very determined. "I understand; I will try my best to convince the council to preserve Luna in hopes that the situation doesn't reach the need for such extreme measures."

"I would be most grateful for your efforts," Milgazia sincerely voiced. He looked towards the shadow that slightly peeked out from behind the corner of his mountain home where he knew Phythan was hiding. "Phythan, come here."

With a small squeak of surprise, Phythan stepped out of his hiding place in elf form. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything!" He quickly excused himself, which only sounded self accusing. "I was just... um... concerned, yes, I am concerned! Memphis has gone back home to help protect and reassure the elves and Onyx went with her. If you go, who will keep an eye on things here?"

"My clan is capable of functioning without me for a while," Milgazia assured. He had managed to convince the majority of them not to give up their energy, thus making them the strongest dragon clan in the current situation. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time he had to take a leave of absence. "As for you, since you've heard it all and I assume you agree with me?"

"Of course I do!" Phythan strongly assured. 

"Than you'll be my representative at the council this time. Sneak out of the meeting room and send me a message via courier monster bird with the results of the votes. Even after the votes are casted, if we lose, try to stall as much as you can," Milgazia instructed.

"Yes, sir!" Phythan saluted, glad to be of help in some way.

"A courier monster bird?" Orion frowned in distaste. "Surely a messenger dove would-"

"Not be fast enough," Milgazia ended the argument. "Now let's go. You should not be late to the meeting." 

Phythan changed to his dragon form with his usual disregard for who was watching. They were all male dragons, so no one made a big fuss about it, other than Orion muttering something about vulgar youths under his breath. The three golden dragons took off flying speedily in the same direction for the time being. Later along the trek, Phythan and Orion would part ways with Milgazia as they all took their positions for what was to come.

To be Continued


	14. Chapter 14

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 040: Cunning! Underhanded Trickery

"I don't think that's a good idea." Fang protested after Filia had Jarde get him. He arrived at Seyruun via teleportation. He was currently in his nearly human form which resembled a human fox chimera.

"What do you mean it's not a good idea?" Filia argued in alarm. She had no time for this. She had to tell Xellos what happened with Erosnum.

"I'll give him the message, but even if you're his wife, I'm sure Xellos doesn't want a golden dragon interrupting him now," Fang tried to explain. "He's busy and-"

"Take me to Xellos now!" Filia grabbed Fang by the spiky leather collar he wore around his neck. "I must see Xellos, I must tell him. Sending the message isn't enough, I want to see him! If I can't make you teleport me I'll fly to Wolf Pack Island. Do not make me do that," she warned.

Fang whimpered. Filia could be scary when she wanted to be, even for a high ranking monster like himself. "Okay, okay, I'll take you to Wolf Pack Island, but you have to tell Xellos it's not my fault!"

"Fine, I'll tell him I forced you to teleport me, just take me to him, fast!" Filia urged.

xoxox xox xoxox

Fang teleported Filia and himself to Wolf Pack Island, reappearing in Xellos' room. Since Xellos was not there, Filia rushed out, quickly making her way through the maze of elegant hallways of Zelas' palace under Wolf Pack Island, with a worried Fang rushing after her. She tried to sense Xellos' energy, telling it apart from the energy of the other monsters that inhabited Zelas' stronghold. 

Finally, her senses picked up on his trail and he followed it to the surface of the island just as he was done talking to Zenki and Neuro, who had surprisingly popped up for a quick report, thus slightly delaying Xellos' departure to regroup with Lina and the others. Several other monsters of relatively high ranks stood behind the two lieutenants. 

"Xellos!" Filia rushed over to him and in her haste, she didn't notice that he stiffened visibly. 

"I had nothing to do with this!" Fang defended before Filia had the chance to continue.

"Yes, yes, I made him teleport me here, it's not Fang's fault," Filia admitted with disregard. She didn't understand why Fang was so strongly set in establishing that seemingly unimportant detail. "Erosnum is a traitor! He showed up at Seyruun and killed Topaz Ebony, a black dragon involved in tricking the dragon council into aiding Darkstar. He said he disagreed with Beast Master and that he was letting me go so I could tell you all this. He said-"

"Filia," Xellos' tone was cold and sharp, his eyes open in a deadly glare directed right at Filia. Zenki and Neuro made no comments and no motions, though some of the beast-like monsters standing behind them shifted uneasily, looking to their allies left and right with eyes full of disapproval. "Shut up."

Filia's mouth hung open with no sounds coming out of it. Xellos had never been so harsh with her, so cold and disapproving, hateful even. He wasn't even like that back when they were enemies. She closed her mouth unable to breathe another word. Xellos gave Fang a disapproving glare that made the monster fox whimper and take refuge behind the lieutenants. 

"We will continue in a moment," Xellos decided. "Zenki and Neuro will review the strategies for their assigned territories." Xellos grabbed Filia by the arm, catching her off guard and teleporting her away.

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos and Filia reappeared in his room, away from prying eyes and ears. "Ow, raw garbage, that hurt," Filia complained, rubbing her arm when he let her go.

"Idiot," Xellos growled.

"I was just trying to warn you that there was a traitor among you!" Filia argued defensively.

"You stupid dragon!" Xellos took Filia by the shoulders, shaking her harshly. "You said yourself that Eros told you to come to me. Couldn't you have stopped to think of why? Couldn't you have stopped to think of why Fang was reluctant to bring you to me? Couldn't you have used your brain for a change instead of getting caught up in the rush of the moment like the idiot you are? This doesn't make me look good, having a dragon have to tell me that. I was already suspicious of Eros and had someone keeping an eye on him." Xellos let go of Filia and paced around the room. "The incompetent fool will have to answer for this. Galathia!"

Filia cringed and covered her ears. It was as if Xellos was yelling through the astral side, so that he could be heard all over Wolf Pack Island. The voice wasn't as physical as it was made of energy, but the vibrations of energy still made Filia's head pound. When no one came and it looked like Xellos would yell again, she covered her ears tightly, but it was useless. His unusually loud and angry voice still rung out clearly in her head. He ignored her pain and called for Fang instead.

"I'm sorry!" Fang shouted, albeit in a normal non-astral energy voice, as he appeared before Xellos.

"Never mind that now," Xellos hurried along with more important matters. "Sniff out Galathia."

"Yes sir!" Though astral beings didn't have a scent in the typical sense that physical beings did, Fang still perceived a sort of astral scent from them and was a good tracker. He changed into his monster fox form and sniffed the air, taking a few moments longer than usual to locate his target, though she was relatively close within Wolf Pack Island. "I found her... She's weak..."

"Bring her here," Xellos commanded. Fang teleported, returning with a spirit, a point of light like a ghost. Filia gasped in surprise, but didn't say anything. "Looks like Eros did a number on you, got anything to report?"

The spirit that was Galathia shone weakly. "Traitor... Insulted Beast Master... He said she... was dead... That she... was ruined... Liar... Liar..."

"He will pay for that, but there's no time for me to hunt him personally and Zenki and Neuro have their hands full with territorial issues. Fang, stay here and guard Wolf Pack Island, keep everyone in line." Fang wasn't the most eloquent monster, but he was loyal. "Thundra!" The echoing voice happened again as Xellos summoned another monster to his presence. This time Filia cringed but didn't bother covering her ears, as it was useless. 

A green parrot with many other colors at the end of her feathers appeared. "You called?" She knew the general priest wasn't in the mood for any sort of delay in following his orders lately. Everyone was very uneasy. 

"See if you can get a necromancer to restore Galathia and continue your duties guarding Wolf Pack Island," Xellos ordered. "Dismissed," all the monsters teleported away, with Galathia doing so with Thundra's assistance as she didn't have the power to do much currently.

Filia shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she should break the icy silence between her and Xellos. "I didn't know Galathia was a spirit..."

"She's a creature who fell to this world when a sort of inter-dimensional rip opened between here and the over-world. She was petrified at the time, but Beast Master brought her back as a monster." She had changed since then, but her essence still remained. She was a gorgon with a strong attraction for handsome men of any species.

"Oh..." Filia didn't meet Xellos' eyes. His tone was still clipped and hard, so unlike his usual playful self. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make your job harder. I should have thought of the consequences. I thought I could help and... I made a mess."

"You did indeed," Xellos huffed. "Zenki and Neuro have human companions they are often with, but not this time. They left the humans in a safe place and didn't involve them in this. At least Chiaki and Yako are smart enough not to poke their noses where they don't belong and if they hear about anything useful, they simply have Jarde deliver the messages."

Filia frowned, she hated having him angry at her like this, truly angry. "I know... I was stupid and good intentions don't always excuse stupid actions."

Xellos pushed up Filia's chin, making her look at him instead of the floor. "Good intentions never excuse stupid actions."

"You're right..." Filia admitted. "Is there any way at all that I can fix this?"

"Hopefully Zenki and Neuro already calmed any possible doubts the others could have come up with about me," Xellos decided. "Now, since you're already here, tell me in detail about what happened." 

Filia explained the whole scene that took place with Topaz, what they talked about and Erosnum's unwelcome arrival. She revealed the things he said about Beast Master and his treachery. 

Xellos took in the narration and finally voiced. "That should all be punished, but he was right to think I would delegate the task. I have no time to chase after Eros and in the end he is inconsequential to the grander scheme of things. Have Val and everyone move into the Seyruun castle until this is over as a precaution. Take Solex's egg there too."

Filia shuddered with pain when she heard Solex's name but fought to try to compose herself. In a barely audible voice she whispered, "I already did that."

Filia's reaction did not go unnoticed by Xellos, who gave her a suspicious look. "And?"

"And what?" Filia quietly inquired.

"There is something you're not telling me," Xellos insisted, though his anger had slightly faded by now. Or rather he wasn't so openly directing it towards Filia. "Say it."

Filia bit her lip and shook her head. "It's okay; you don't have to deal with everything. It doesn't change the main situation anyway..."

"I have no time for guessing games." Xellos scolded impatiently with some of the anger returning to his features.

Filia knew that Xellos would somehow get the truth out of her, so trying to distract him and change the subject was only a waste of time. She held back her tears and admitted it. "The shockwave of energy that caused everyone pain after Lord Beast Master and the other monster lords were summoned to the over-world made Solex's egg crack. He's... no longer there."

For a moment, Xellos said nothing as his expression darkened further. Then he muttered an incomprehensible segment of words that sounded somewhat like a stream of insulting profanities directed at Darkstar. Then a look of determination overtook his face. "I will get my revenge on him."

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at the dragon council meeting room, senator Orion Ilumina had just finished delivering his speech after a few others had spoken. Several more dragons of various clans, golden, dimos, white and black, spoke as well. The process went on until the supreme elder who was the council's chancellor took the podium in the center of the circular structure. Seeing as all the ranking leaders and politicians had already spoken, he announced that it was time to cast their votes. 

Surprisingly, the dragons voted to keep Luna's body safe, though they decided to redouble the precautions around it. They knew that with their exhausted power they didn't stand a chance against Darkstar either way and a last minute recovery from the Knight of Ceifeed could be what turned the tides in their favor. Every ounce of power they could have on their side counted.

After the meeting ended, Phythan snuck away from the crowds of curious dragons who wanted to speak to him, wondering why Milgazia had decided to send someone so young as his representative. He sent Milgazia a quick message with Jarde, letting him know about the good news of the result of the voting. However, the sneaky courier monster bird changed the message and delivered a note that simply said, "get Luna out of there!"

xoxox xox xoxox

While a monster talented in necromancy attempted to get Galathia's spirit to respond to the monster energy Zelas infused into her and begin its own astral recovery process, the gorgon had a peculiar request. "Thundra, I must ask you to do something important for me. I received a message a little earlier and I fear I am being terribly manipulated. Even so, I admit I'm enjoying the trill of it, though Xellos would probably kill me if he knew. None the less, I'm sure this will be harmless to Zelas. There is something I must ask you to do for me so that I may not lose the opportunity to claim a mysterious, but most certainly very enjoyable reward."

After Galathia revealed her request, Thundra refused absolutely. "I'm not going to help you with that. What if it's a trap? I mean, if what he said about his plans is true, then it makes sense. We're all opposing Darkstar after all, so such unsavory alliances could be inevitable. But what if it's a lie?"

"I can't miss out on this opportunity to receive the reward!" Galathia insisted desperately, while the necromancer monster finished his job and left. The two female monsters paid him no mind and faded to the astral side completely. Galathia recovered enough to appear as a gorgon, in the astral side at least. 

Galathia wasn't wearing her usual veil over her face, but Thundra was a strong enough monster not to be affected. "If you're so desperate, get Fang to do it. I can give him your message, but that's it."

"Brilliant idea," Galathia approved. "The darling Fang will surely accomplish my request. Then I'll be free to claim the mysterious reward later!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Assuming that they had lost the voting, Milgazia set out to perform a rescue mission that was in every way an unnecessary risk. In truth the monsters had no reason to try to attack Luna, or rather her vessel, at the time. They were all focused on Darkstar. Yet Jarde was stressed and feeling ignored and insignificant due to the fact that he didn't have much in the way of combat power. The monster courier bird decided to cause some mischief for no reason other than to be troublesome and let out some tensions.

Milgazia had managed to acquire an amulet that disguised his dragon energy and made him very hard to sense. It was a semi-rare amulet, but certainly not the only one of its kind in the world. Even so, his human form was already known to other dragons, so he would still have to cover his face to truly hide his identity, just in case. Since the monster lords were gone, he couldn't use any black magic that drew power from them if the necessity to fight came up. Thus spells such as Zelas Phalanx were out of the question. He had to admit he would make an odd ninja, dressed in white rather than black. The temple where Luna was being kept was brightly lit with walls of pure ivory that would make the classic black attire of a ninja cause him to stand out more so than blend in. He was like a ninja of light, rather than a ninja of darkness. 

The temple which held Luna had a guard on the ceiling. Very quietly, Milgazia made his way to the back of the building where there was a window when the guard was looking away. He opened and jumped through it, or at least tried to. The window was far too small and Milgazia soon found himself stuck. After some uncomfortable pushing, he managed to slip in. He heard approaching footsteps and dashed to hide behind one of the pillars that lined the hallway. The guard, a dimos dragon wearing armor, walked by with a long axe on one hand and a shield in the other in an overall look that in another world might be described as a Roman warrior.

The guard stopped at the end of the hallway. Something was off. He checked the first pillar on the opposite side and when his back was turned, Milgazia moved to the next pillar on his side of the hallway. The guard looked in his direction but saw nothing as the fabric of his light ninja clothes was enchanted not to cast a shadow. The guard stopped, wondering if it was just his imagination due to uneasiness. It didn't hurt to be careful though. He started checking behind the pillars one by one.

Every time the guard was busy looking behind one of the pillars, Milgazia would move on to the next. He stopped when another guard, a golden dragon in similar attire to the dimos, came from the other side of the square hallway. "What's wrong?" Their patrols were not supposed to overlap, as one of the guards would be marching on the opposite side of the hallway when the other was there, if they kept up a steady pace. 

"Nothing..." The dimos replied with slight doubt. I just felt as if there was someone here. "Besides the other guards I mean."

"An intruder?" The golden dragon looked around, but Milgazia had already made it past the corner. "I haven't seen anything."

"I guess I was just a bit paranoid," the dimos let it go. "I better get back into step with the patrol." He hurried on ahead.

The temple was square in shape with hallways that went all around an inner room which had no windows, only a locked door. Two guards patrolled the hallways, a dimos and a golden dragon. That was in addition to the dimos dragon guard on the roof and the pair of white and black dragons standing by the main doors. The black dragon was outside and the white dragon behind him next to the inner door. They were part of a reserve that didn't give their energy to Darkstar as a contingency plan just in case something went wrong. The dragon race didn't feel there were enough dragons like that though, as the majority had given up their energy. That meant a very significant decrease in their power until they could recover.

Milgazia shook his head in disapproval. Surely they could come up with better surveillance than this. Perhaps the guards weren't the main part of the security system. He quietly snuck behind the white dragon as the guard yawned in boredom and released enchanted sleeping dust into the air, which the white dragon inhaled. It didn't take much for him to succumb to slumber as that particular sleeping dust was strengthened to work even on dragons. It wasn't harmful for him and the white dragon would wake up in a little while. However, the super strong sleeping dust could be deadly for humans, sending them into an eternal slumber.

White dragons were more often healers than fighters, so for a golden dragon to overpower one physically was easy. White dragons did have superior healing magic though and could be an invaluable support in battle. Black dragons were talented with attack magic and dimos where physically stronger than all the other dragons. Golden dragons, known to many as the dragon lords, had a balance of abilities that made them particularly formidable opponents. 

It wouldn't be long before the dimos on patrol made it to that side of the hallway and realize that his comrade was sleeping on his feet. Hopefully it would be attributed to boredom and nothing more. Milgazia hurried into the inner chamber and observed the many runes and charms that surrounded Luna as she floated within a crystal in the center of the room. All of these spells were aimed at stopping monsters. Though they might not be enough to kill a particularly strong monster, they would illicit a very painful reaction from even someone like Xellos. The shift of energy would then be enough to alert the guards.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 041: Explorers! Inter-Dimensional Travelers

Fortunately, the magical traps in the temple that held Luna's body were not made to be set off by a dragon. They were guarding against the monsters after all, not their own kind. Thus Milgazia could easily walk across the room, move all the traps one by one and release Luna. He didn't deactivate the chambers and runes around the room, but rather carefully moved them so that they still gave off a steady stream of energy for the guards to sense, but were not shielding anything. Once the runes and charms were enclosing nothing but empty space, rather than the whole inner chamber, Milgazia knew that an astral path was open for a monster to teleport in and out unharmed. 

This was the tricky part. He had contacted Galathia in secret, a monster that he could best in battle, aided by the power of distraction if it came to that. She was creepy with how she flirted with him, but as sneaky as it was, he could use that in his favor. She was strange though, perhaps she wasn't originally a true monster, but that wasn't the real point. She could teleport through the astral side and that was all he needed to know. 

Galathia was a last resort to escape of course. A clear path into the structure through the astral side would be her signal to proceed. It was the only way he could get out of there with Luna as he noticed the seal on the door that would activate when Luna went through. The door was the only way out, aside from teleportation, as he couldn't exactly blow a hole on the wall and expect it to go unnoticed. 

Not too far from the temple, but far enough not to alert the dragon guards, Fang observed everything from the astral side. A web of light in tiny triangles that his astral body couldn't fit through was surrounding a space large enough to signify the inner chamber of the temple in the physical plane. The web of light moved to the side and that was the signal Fang was told to watch out for. He teleported, spotted Milgazia carrying Luna and without a word, he swiftly teleported again. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Fang, Milgazia and Luna, or rather her empty body, reappeared in the location where Fang was instructed by Galathia to transport Milgazia and the vessel of the Knight of Ceifeed, Zephilia. Milgazia thought that the safest place to leave Luna was in the care of her own family, in the land that produced so many skilled sorcerers and heroes. The golden dragon elder could only imagine the tumult that was forming in the temple at that very moment. The guards must have sensed Fang, though it all happened too fast for them to do anything about it. 

The dragons would blame the monsters, but that would only serve in Luna's favor. If that piece of information got out, and it probably would somehow reach the ears of a monster spy, they would be looking for her in monster territory, maybe even in Zelas' territory specifically. Milgazia thought he could figure out a way to coax, or force, Galathia into silence, but the one who came to his assistance wasn't Galathia.

Fang stood there in his semi-human form, twitching his black fox ears eagerly and wagging his tail. "Galathia said you would give her something good if she did what you asked. She got beat up to an inch of death and is recovering now so she couldn't be here. I was supposed to deliver Galathia's reward to her but I don't want to. I did the teleportation work so I should get the treat!" Fang exclaimed. "Give it, give it! Give me the something good!"

Milgazia smiled with sweet victory. "I already have."

Fang blinked in confusion. "Where is it? I don't see it." He had a bad feeling about this.

"I give you..." Milgazia paused dramatically, "the opportunity to realize that you are deep down very kind and my thanks."

Fang cringed. "Monsters are not very kind and monsters don't like gratitude," he pouted. At least it wasn't too bad since he was a monster fox chimera, rather than a pure monster. "You tricked me!" He pointed at the golden dragon accusingly.

"Yes, I did," Milgazia admitted unfazed.

Fang looked surprised. "Why do you confess it so easily?"

"You were tricked by a dragon," Milgazia emphasized. "That's not very monster-like of you, how disappointing. Tell you what, Fang, if you keep our little venture a secret I will keep this a secret too."

Fang thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to be a disappointment, especially when Xellos was so cranky. "So if I don't tell anyone about the teleportation, or about Luna, or about any of this, you won't tell Xellos I was tricked by a dragon?"

"That's right," Milgazia agreed, this was a lot easier than tricking Galathia. He should have called for Fang from the start. He was a strong monster, but monster chimeras always sacrificed some of their monster aspects. In this case it was his sense of malice. "Don't forget, if you reveal any of this, you'll just be making yourself look bad and I'm sure Xellos will be very upset at you," he warned.

"I won't tell anyone!" Fang insisted. "In fact, I'll say I bailed out and didn't do what I was told. None of this ever happened and I was never here!" With those final words of parting, Fang teleported back to Wolf Pack Island, off to pretend he never left.

Milgazia chuckled lightly to himself. He wasn't sure when he became so tricky, but it was useful. Maybe he had spent too much time playing brass rackets in their odd definition of diplomatic meetings with Zelas if her tricky ways were rubbing off on him. He mused on it for a while and surprisingly decided that it wasn't so bad. It was about time the monsters got a taste of their own medicine anyway. Without further ado, Milgazia headed towards the Inverse residence with Luna's uninhabited motionless body.

xoxox xox xoxox

Light and Labyrinthine were certainly surprised to be visited by a golden dragon elder carrying their unconscious eldest daughter. She had been gone for a long time, but it didn't strike them as odd, as she was the Knight of Ceifeed and had duties to perform. Plus their younger daughter, Lina, was always running around all over the place. Luna was placed in her room where she looked as if she were sleeping.

"Thanks for bringing her here," Labyrinthine pulled the blankets over her daughter and stepped back, watching her unmoving form. 

"I'm very sorry things ended up like this. Action is being taken," Milgazia assured. "Luna will recover if her soul is found and returned to her body." Except he had no clue about where it could be.

"You mean when," Light corrected. "I know my girls are strong. Luna's not going to fall so easily. She'll be back."

Milgazia nodded, the Inverse couple was certainly confident in their daughters' abilities and they had good reasons to be. Speaking of which, it was about time he met with Lina Inverse.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later at Seyruun, Milgazia landed at the royal courtyard and in a flash of golden light, the large dragon was gone, replaced with Milgazia's human form. 

The first one to reach him was Xellos, who was not happy to see him. Then again, Xellos wasn't happy about anything these days. "Why are you here?"

Milgazia remained unfazed by the fact that Xellos actually looked like an obvious monster in his current foul mood. "I came to speak to Lina."

"She's busy," Xellos warned. He wanted to go to the over-world and didn't want any distractions getting in the way.

"Oh, c'mon, let me hear what he has to say." Lina and the others gathered in the Seyruun royal courtyard where Milgazia was. Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Philional, Naga, Gravos, Filia, Val, Fili, Palou, Jillas and Elena were all present.

Surprisingly, Phythan was also present among the group. "Milgazia!" He called out urgently, making his way to the front of the crowd. "I was trying to contact you, but Jarde kept ignoring me. I think he's being all rebellious and cranky because he misses his monster lord mommy. I was trying to tell you that Luna's body was stolen by monsters. That sucks, doesn't it? Just when we won the voting to keep her safe. I wasn't sure what to do, so I came here. Then when I was about to explain everything, you got here. Looks like it was a good thing I came here after all. Justice is a fine guide to follow!"

"What's this about Luna's body?" Lina demanded to know.

"What's this about winning the voting?" Milgazia added urgently.

"We won," Phythan simply stated. "I sent you a message about it."

"The message I got only told me to get Luna out," Milgazia frowned. He should have known nothing good came out of dealing with monsters. "Which means that all of that was completely unnecessary and utterly useless."

"All of what?" Lina insisted impatiently. "What's going on? What happened to Luna?"

"Luna's soul is not currently in her body," Milgazia explained. "The whereabouts of the soul are unknown, but the body is safe so that she should recover if the soul is restored."

"Safe?" Lina questioned. "Didn't Phythan just say her body was stolen by monsters? How is that safe?"

Milgazia shook his head and let out a hopeless breath. "That's a lie. I thought her body was set to be destroyed to prevent it from being possessed, but it turns out I was misinformed. I took Luna's body to Zephilia to keep her safe, not knowing that she wasn't in any danger anyway. There's nothing that can be done about that now, we might as well just leave things as they are. Luna's body is at Zephilia with your parents, she should be safe there."

Lina looked relieved, "that's good to know," she breathe. "If anything happened to Luna's body, her soul would somehow come back to haunt me and blame me for it."

"Kidnapping the vessel of the Knight of Ceifeed and blaming it on the monsters?" Xellos observed with a slightly teasing tone. Stressed as he was, this was just priceless. "Since when are you so tricky, Milgazia?"

"I'm not," Milgazia frowned. "But speaking of tricks," he pulled a card out of his sleeve.

"You cheat at cards too?" Xellos shook his head in mock disapproval. "Tsk, tsk, you really are a tricky dragon."

"I don't cheat; this is something Zelas dropped when she was summoned." When Milgazia revealed that detail, Xellos' attention was instantly caught.

Xellos' slightly improved mood hit rock bottom again. "What were you doing with Lord Beast Master when she was summoned anyway?" He growled threateningly. He wasn't allowed to be there, so he didn't want some dragon being there.

"I thought that if I watched I might be able to learn something useful," Milgazia was still unfazed by Xellos' anger. "I didn't really get much out of watching the summoning, but I did get an interesting history lesson from the Lord of Nightmares." The mention of the name of the Lord of Nightmares made everyone instantly become serious and alert. "You know what this means, if the Lord of Nightmares is out and about this is something big. But I got the impression that she has no intentions of interfering like she did last year. This time we'll have to figure out what to do on our own. As for the card, I thought it was ordinary, but after carrying it for a while, it feels like there's something in it."

Xellos took the card from Milgazia. "It's a good luck charm." He surrounded the card with dark energy, which caused an otherwise invisible shiny violet rune to light up. "It's a simple luck rune, nothing too rare. Though it does tend to favor the dealer in a game." He pocketed the card and ignored Milgazia's disapproving look. "If that is all the news you have to share, we'll be on our way now."

Lina stepped forward, claiming her role as the leader of the group. "Alright, it's time to go to the over-world!" "Naga, Gravos, Phil, Val, Jillas, Elena, Palou, and you too Algar, keep Seyruun safe and start getting ready for a major victory banquet on our return! Sylphiel, Pokota, Martina and Zangulus will be keeping an eye on any suspicious activities in Sairaag, Taforashia, Zoana and the nearby territories. From what I've heard, Memphis and Onyx are with the elves and Phythan and Milgazia will take care of the dragons. As for us, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Xellos, our mission is to be... Darkstar's worse nightmare! He won't know what hit him. To the over-world, to the battle field!"

"Justice will prevail!" Amelia cheered; Lina's speech was certainly inspirational. 

Before anyone got further carried away and decided to add more to the speech, Xellos teleported the chosen group to Wolf Pack Island.

xoxox xox xoxox

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos reappeared at Wolf Pack Island. Celo was waiting with the machine ready. He was wearing an odd metal headband with a glass orb with wiring in the middle, which in another time might be described as resembling a lightbulb. "Welcome to the over-world express! It's the fastest and safest way to get to the over-world."

"Not to mention the only way," Lina added with a touch of sarcasm. "Well, let's get this show on the road." She hopped on to the platform next to which Celo stood, followed by Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos.

"Join hands everyone, I wouldn't want you to get separated between dimensions," Celo reminded. "Here we go!" He chanted a spell to activate the magical device and the gears beneath the platform spun faster and faster, accumulating energy. The crystals of chaotic energy around the platform shone brightly and the atmosphere became thick and heavy. 

It felt as if they were being electrocuted, but those standing on the platform had no choice but to bare it and hope the trip was over soon. A bright pillar of light rose from the platform at the same time as the lightbulb on Celo's head lit up. The six travelers faded away into the light that disappeared into the distant skies from whence it came. When the light was gone, Celo disappeared as well, leaving only the odd head accessory on the ground where he once stood. 

xoxox xox xoxox

A violet light surrounded Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Xellos and Filia as they held on to each other, trying not to become lost in the chaos that screeched in their minds and threatened to rip them apart. The violet bubble of energy at last wrapped itself completely around them, lessening the impact of the trek. The energy felt peculiarly like Celo, but he was fading fast. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, the chaos gave way to a vast darkness with points of light in the distance and a brown sphere that got closer and closer. The blackness faded to an odd shade of blue-green cloud-less sky. The brown rocky ground was approaching fast. The violet energy burst around them and slowed their fall sufficiently, then it faded away completely.

The six travelers of worlds fell to the rocky brown ground with a thump. It hurt, but it wasn't enough to cause any serious injuries. Lina was the first to return to alertness and look around. The land was barren, devoid of trees, grass or plants of any kind. On the bright side, there didn't seem to be any ferocious otherworldly animals trying to eat them. She got up and dusted herself off, gazing into the skies. The heavens above were an usual shade and the rocky ground beneath her feet had wavy lines of pale and dark brown that were rather odd. "Looks like we made it to the over-world." Not that she knew what the over-world looked like, but she had not been to a place that looked like this before. The redhead looked around to the distance. "Unfortunately, it looks like we're far away from any settlements. Or maybe I should say it's fortunate, we wouldn't want our arrival to spook anyone." As she adverted her curious eyes away from the landscape and towards her companions she found them staring at Xellos and Zelgadis for various reasons.

Xellos looked like he was fading, trying hard to stay with them, but being pulled afar. "Xellos, what's happening to you?"

"I don't know!" Xellos' voice was echoing yet cut off. "I can't-" before he could finish what he was saying, he was gone.

"Xellos!" Filia yelled in alarm, but he wasn't answering. "What happened to him? Where did he go?"

"Calm down," Lina cautioned. "I'm sure there's an explanation for this."

"What if monsters can't survive here?" Filia panicked.

"I don't think that's it," Lina tried to calm her. "If that was true, then how is Darkstar supposed to steal the monster lords' power if they simply disappear?"

"Maybe he didn't plan to steal their power," Filia worried. "Maybe he wanted to kill them by luring them here. Maybe he already has and Xellos is-"

"Don't be so pessimistic!" Amelia suddenly interrupted. "We can't lose hope, we'll find Mr. Xellos, I'm sure of it!"

"Right... right..." Filia tried to calm herself and stay focused. Panicking wouldn't help the situation at all.

"Now, about that armor..." Lina looked at Zelgadis oddly, at least that person sort of looked like it was Zelgadis.

"I can't take it off!" Zelgadis kept pulling at the metal that covered his whole body, but it wouldn't come off. He couldn't even remove the odd mask over his face. "It's stuck, all of it!"

"I wonder if that armor has something to do with your being a chimera?" Amelia examined the metal, but could find no place where it looked like it could be pulled off. It all fitted Zelgadis' measurements perfectly, unlike any knightly armor, however customized, ever could.

"Does that mean I'm stuck like this?" Zelgadis didn't like it at all. 

"I don't really know..." Amelia admitted.

It was up to the leader to once again try to keep things in order. "That armor is something of this world. I'm sure someone from here will know how it works and will be able to get it off. In the mean time, try to use it to your advantage. At least you're fully protected with it and it doesn't look as bulky and hard to move in as the armors from our world."

"I suppose there's no other choice, and surprisingly it really isn't hard to move in," Zelgadis accepted.

"Okay then, let's start walking." Lina decided. "There must be a sort of settlement around here. I'm sure we'll see some people soon, the over-world can't be that under-populated, right?" Unless the barren appearance of the landscape was due to Darkstar exterminating everyone and everything in that area already; but Lina decided not to voice such a grim theory. "As soon as we find people," and hopefully not corpses, "we'll find information."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 042: Metamorphosis! Uncover the New Power

After their confusing arrival at the over-world and Xellos' mysterious disappearance, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia, set out to find a settlement of people from whom they hoped to obtain information. However, things were far from going their way as Gourry noticed with a sad and worried face that "the sword of light is gone!"

Lina took it as a suspicious event. It was too convenient that the sword of light went missing just when they arrived at the over-world. They were tossed around during the trip between the worlds, but she didn't think the case of its disappearance was that Gourry simply dropped it. It wasn't anywhere to be seen in the brown barren rocky ground. She supposed that it could be floating endlessly lost between the worlds, but she doubted anything could remain between the worlds for long. It felt as if they were breaking free from a gravity-like pull in their world and giving into the pull from the over-world. Lina theorized that Gorun Nova must have fallen to one of the worlds. "This is the place where the sword of light was made," she tried to make Gourry cheer up. Maybe we'll find another one." 

"I know... It won't be like Gorun Nova, but I guess it'll have to do," Gourry accepted.

'Not like Gorun Nova...' Lina mused. Gourry had a point, even if there were other weapons of light or similar devices in the over-world, she had a strong feeling that Gorun Nova, Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis were all special, even in this world. She was still thinking about it when a shadow overtook the group from overhead.

"What is that?" Filia pointed at the flying thing in alarm. 

It was rather large, black and grey. A somewhat triangular structure as big as a building, much wider than tall seemed to be the main piece, with another longer smaller structure attached to its front with a sapphire like material at the tip. Metal wings and spikes extended from the sides, top and back of the vessel and six gems like giant pearls floated in front of the main piece. It was like a sort of flying ship that was fully covered in armor all around. "Your journey is now over." A male voice came from the ship, a voice they did not recognize.

"Mr. Captain," Amelia tried to reason with whom she assumed was the captain of the strange flying vessel. She didn't like the aggressive tone in his voice. "Please allow us to explain ourselves. We are in a very important mission for the good of both our worlds!"

"I know that, I know all about your intentions, I've been listening the whole time as I traveled with the human called Gourry," the vessel replied. "You need not address a captain, for there is no such being within me. Plus it wouldn't matter anyway; a captain is a mere source of power, a disposable and replaceable element. Not that I actually need one to kill all of you. My name is Gorun Nova."

A chorus of "what?!" Overtook the group. 

"Gorun Nova! Am I glad to see you!" Gourry stepped forward happily. "Wow, you've certainly gotten big; the over-world must have something that changes weapons of light, huh?"

"This was my original form with which I was created here," Gorun Nova revealed. By now he was used to Gourry's antics and didn't bother explaining things too much, he intended to kill him and his friends soon anyway. "The last thing you should feel is glad to see me, human. My power is no longer yours to wield!" Gorun Nova opened fire with lasers.

Upon yelps of surprise and hurried dashes, the group ran to take cover in a nearby cave. Gourry kept complaining the whole way about why the noble sword of light was attacking them, visibly upset about the ordeal. The cave entrance was destroyed by Gorun Nova's lasers, causing the rocks to block the exit and cut out their source of light. But it also made them see another dim light up ahead, towards which they ran. "We'll sneak up behind him and I'll get him with my Dragon Slave!"

"Don't be too harsh..." Gourry requested sadly.

"Are you kidding me, jellyfish brain? That thing wants to kill us!" Lina argued. "You may have wielded it in the past, but Gorun Nova has a will of its own in this world and it's the enemy." She began her concentration to cast her signature spell. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows," they were almost to the other cave exit. "Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows... I don't feel Shabranigdu at all!" Then it hit her, of course she couldn't borrow power from Shabranigdu, his remaining pieces were sealed back in her world and the over-world was too far to try to call his power from there. "How could I have forgotten? I can't use the Dragon Slave here, Shabranigdu's too far away!"

"Isn't Beast Master here though?" Zelgadis reminded. "Since she is in this world, she should be in range for her spells to work now."

"Good idea!" Lina tried to focus on a different spell instead and chanted the words for Zelas Brid. "From the depths of the forest, awaken from your rest. I call upon the savage beast, on my enemies your fangs shall feast... It's not working!" Lina stopped near the cave exit in alarm.

"Does that mean that something bad happened to Miss Zelas?" Amelia wondered in worry.

"Let me try something..." Zelgadis began another chant for a different kind of spell. "Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite, everlasting flame of blue, let the power in my soul be called forth from the infinite... I got nothing."

"Light!" Amelia gave it a try with a very basic spell that even some of the people from the outer continent could easily cast. "Oh, oh..." The theory that was forming in Amelia's head, which matched what Lina, Zelgadis and Filia were thinking, was not a pleasant one. "I don't think magic works at all in the over-world."

The cave shook and another avalanche of rocks ensued, as Gorun Nova caused the alternate exit to be sealed off as well. The minerals on the rocks where messing with his radar and camouflaging the group's heat signatures, but they were so close to the exit the dark vessel picked up their signal. The five travelers retreated deeper into the cave, bumping their heads on low hanging stalactites and tripping over stalagmites in the darkness. 

Finally, there was light and heat. The cave walls shone with gem-like rocks and up ahead there was a cliff. As happy as she was to be surrounded by gems, Lina was too disappointed by the dead end to think about snatching them. She peered over the edge of the cliff and realized the heat was due to the lava below. "How in the world are we going to get across this if we can't even levitate?"

Tired of wondering if his targets had been crushed or not after they were hidden underground, Gorun Nova decided to make sure. If he had a power source it would boost all his systems, including the radar. Yet after being in sword form for so long, he was left weakened and couldn't stretch the sight of his radar beyond the energy charged minerals hidden within the cave walls. He would crush the targets anyway, or if the cave in didn't reach that deep, he would trap them and soon enough they would starve to death. Magic didn't work in that world and magic was their greatest strength from what he had witnessed. The ground shook with the force of Gorun Nova's lasers raining upon the area above. For good measure, he rammed against the ground protected by his shield, causing an even bigger earthquake.

Rocks fell from the ceiling of the cave and the ledge where Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia were on begun to crumble. They considered going back the way they came, but the tunnel had collapsed, leaving them trapped in a crumpling cliff next to a boiling lake of lava. "Filia, I know it's cramped in here, but it looks like the only thing that can save us right now is if you transform!" Lina urged.

"Alright, look away everyone!" They hastily followed Filia's request and she focused on changing to her dragon form. A moment passed and nothing happened, then suddenly, her back felt tight and bothersome. Her body wasn't responding like it should and she wondered if she would only be able to do a partial transformation. Normally, she would find it hard to control, other than her accidental tail only partial transformations, but for now it would do. She needed wings, she desperately needed them. 

"Please hurry Miss Filia!" Amelia reminded them of their peril as more pieces of the ledge crumbled to the lava below, leaving them with less space to stand on and dodge the falling gem encrusted rocks.

"I'm on it!" Filia took off her white cloak, unzipped the back of her pink dress and adjusted the short sleeves on her shoulders to keep the top in place. "Wings... wings..." If only she could get at least her wings to pop out of her back. Something clicked within her body and with a peculiar mechanical sound; a compartment on her back opened and out came a bazooka-like structure. The thing was obviously made of metal, shining and silver, much like Zelgadis' strange armor, and it was attached to her back. "Ah! What is this?"

Filia's alarmed scream caused the others to look at her, with shocked expression soon overtaking their features. "Is that a bazooka?" Amelia theorized.

"Why is there a bazooka thing on my back instead of wings? What has the over-world done to me?" Filia cried out in frustrated desperation. "What has this crazy world done to all of us?"

The cliff-side finally collapsed completely and the group fell, yelling helplessly as the boiling lava below rapidly became closer with their speedy descent. Suddenly, blue fire emerged from the bazooka-like structure on Filia's back, which was actually a jetpack, and she found that she could use it to propel herself to fly, like those special fireworks Jillas knew how to make. Filia could only hope that she wouldn't explode like fireworks did. She grabbed Lina's hand, who held on to Gourry, who helped Amelia, who clung to Zelgadis, who was rather heavy with all the metal. Filia tried to pull the chain of people across the lava, making the blue fire from the bazooka on her back flare in effort. 

Finally, they landed on the other side of the underground lava lake and the shaking ceased. Gorun Nova must have thought they were dead. "That was too close," Amelia breathe. "Are you okay Zel? Your hand was really hot at first and then it got really cold."

"I'm alright," Zelgadis replied, looking at his armored hands. "I think this armor somehow regulates the temperature so it doesn't overheat."

"That fire from the bazooka must be special too," Filia realized. "At least it didn't burn my dress." That would have been embarrassing, not to mention dangerous.

"Any ideas on how to get out of here?" Gourry inquired in confusion. 

Lina walked to the edge of the cliff on the opposite side from where they had come. The lake of lava provided light, but there wasn't much to look at except a whole lot of rocks and a few gems that Lina began to tuck into her cape. "We'll find a way. After all that, I'm actually relieved."

"Relieved?" Zelgadis questioned with an 'are you insane?' tone of voice.

"How could any of that cause you to be relieved?" Amelia questioned with uncharacteristic pessimism. 

"When I couldn't use my magic, I was worried," Lina admitted. "I've always relied on my magic to win, but none of us can use magic here. Judging by how Gorun Nova looks and the changes on Zelgadis and Filia, my theory is that the technology of this world is something far beyond our wildest dreams. In other words, plain old swords will most likely be just as useless as the magic we can't cast. The legendary weapons of light are the enemy and we can't even power a sword with Astral Vine. To put it simply, every fighting strategy we're used to is useless in this world. All the power we had before is gone."

The group only seemed to get more depressed by Lina's speech. If that was supposed to be a relief, then she really had lost it. "Um... Lina," Gourry whispered gently. "I think you're really cool when you go to leader mode and all. No offense, but this wasn't your best leader speech."

"I'm not done yet," Lina referred to both the speech and the war. "We're not done yet, far from it. I'm relieved because we're discovering new powers. We were strong in our world and we're strong here, we just haven't realized how to use our power yet. Zelgadis, there has to be more to that armor than meets the eye. When you master it, you'll be stronger than ever. Filia, your body has changed, but your power is still there and I'm sure it's not just flying. You must have a lot of special abilities just waiting to be discovered. The same goes for all of us. In fact, it's better this way. Our ways of fighting might be completely outdated by the standards of the over-world, but when we came here, we were not only brought to a new battle field, but we were given new abilities. The over-world itself has given us what we need to conquer any dangers we may face in it. We only need to master our new powers. This isn't a setback, it's a whole world of possibilities that we can take advantage of. We'll bring out our new power, get some new weaponry and win this war!"

Despite being buried alive, cheer invaded the group of five. "Well spoken!" Amelia commended, clapping and cheering enthusiastically. "I couldn't have said it better myself. You really are our leader, guiding us back to the path of justice when we need it the most!"

"Alright team, what do you say we get out of here?" Lina cheered.

"Yeah!" The others chorused.

"Stand back, I'm going to try something!" Filia stepped forward and took a deep breath. "Let's see if I have my laser breath in some form in this world too." She focused on making it happen and found that she could indeed shoot lasers from her mouth. She shot a beam of light up diagonally and began to make a tunnel they could climb out of.

"There must be something else to this armor that's useful." Zelgadis tried to figure out what he could do. Energy like a laser gathered in his palm, traveling through the armor's circuitry. "That's it! Filia, I'll give you a hand with that tunnel." He joined the front of the group, as the tunnel progressed faster with the team work.

xoxox xox xoxox

After a lot of digging with lasers, as the rocks were too hard to be broken with bare hands, Filia, Zelgadis, Amelia, Lina and Gourry made it to the surface of the rocky planet. The group sat on the ground to rest from the ordeal. It looked as if Gorun Nova was gone. 

Unfortunately, the dark lost ship had remained in the atmosphere, waiting to pick up a signal from his allies for Darkstar so he would know to which coordinates he should travel. His radar picked up the life forms in the otherwise deserted rocky planet and he hurried down to finish the job. He reasoned that they must have escaped from their underground entrapment if they were no longer hidden from his sensors. Gorun Nova was a bit surprised by their persistence, but at the same time, he thought, however illogical such a thought process could be, that he would be disappointed if a cave-in was all it took to finish them off. "I see you're still alive. I should have known you wouldn't be so easy to kill. Resistance is futile; you don't have many places to hide in this deserted planet!"

Gasps of alarm were heard as Gorun Nova flew above the group threateningly. "What do you mean a deserted planet?" Amelia demanded.

"Simple minded fools who spend their lives in only one planet," Gorun Nova mocked. "This world is much bigger than yours. There are many planets here, some inhabited by humans, others inhabited by different civilizations, fauna or flora. There are also some planets, like this one, that are not inhabited by anyone or anything. There is no one here to help you."

Amelia let out a breath, "that's a relief," she smiled.

"What?" Gorun Nova questioned the seemingly nonsensical response of this human. He had observed the creatures for so long and could feed from their minds in ship form if one became his captain, but they still surprised and puzzled him in many ways.

"For a minute there I was worried that Darkstar destroyed this place before we came." Amelia wasn't the only one with that theory, though no one had dared to voice it. "It's good to know that this planet is not deserted because of Darkstar and it's also good to know that there are other planets out there. This sounds like a very interesting world and I'm looking forward to visiting it. I'm also even more inspired to protect it and all its different people, living things and cultures!"

"Your illogical determination is useless." Gorun Nova prepared to fire his main laser canon at close range, but it didn't look like his targets were even planning to make an effort to run. They had been so helpless such a short time ago. Why were they so confident now? They had to be bluffing; it was the only logical explanation Gorun Nova could come up with.

Lina stepped forward brave and determined. They couldn't retreat aimlessly, they needed to fight back. "Prepare yourself Gorun Nova, for the wrath of Lina Inverse!" She began to pull things out of her cape in search of something, anything, that could have been changed by the over-world and become unexpectedly useful. She pulled out a whistle and blew it, but accomplished nothing more than to annoy her companions. She threw that away and pulled out a bag of cookies, she gobbled them up speedily, but felt no different following the action. She pulled out a pink slipper and threw it at Gorun Nova, causing no damage what so ever. She threw its twin with a similar lack of effect.

"Fool! You're only stalling, prepare to die!" Gorun Nova flew lower, aiming his main cannon right at Lina.

The redhead stared into the metal barrel without flinching. She could see a faint light becoming brighter within it and she knew that it could reduce her to a pile of dust, but she showed no fear. She had power within her; she just had to bring it out. She pulled out a brass racket from her cape as her friends stood around her left and right. She could feel it, power flowing within her like magic, or at least the over-world's equivalent to magic, psy-energy. "Game over, Gorun Nova!"

To be Continued


	15. Chapter 15

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 043: Introductions! Allies From Another World

Gorun Nova shot a blast of regular laser energy point blank, but Lina's courageous psy-energy flowed through the brass racket and combined itself with the courage of Amelia, Zelgadis, Gourry and Filia as they too placed their hands on the handle of the brass racket. A bright light emerged from the end of the racket, the beam of psy-energy pushing back the laser energy of Gorun Nova's canon and causing it to explode within him. The brass racket was broken by the intensity, but the blast was effective.

"No!" Gorun Nova retreated as the light faded. He shook in the air as sparks and electricity surrounded the dark vessel. His main weapons system was completely put out of order by an internal chain reaction that also damaged all his systems. They were a lot stronger than he expected them to be in the over-world and they had a means to call upon psy-energy. Gorun Nova retreated beyond the atmosphere into space. His self repair and cooling systems were working at full capacity. He had underestimated Lina's little group, even though he should have known better after traveling with them for so long. 

Yet the psy-energy wasn't pure, there was some fear and a lot of wrath mixed with the courage, thus regardless of the extremely close range, the hit wasn't fatal. Yet if they mastered their emotions and focused on his weaknesses as a dark lost ship, a hit at such a close range that went inside him would have been much worse. Gorun Nova wouldn't take that risk again. He wouldn't fight at such close range. They would have to find a way off that planet or they would starve. He would meet them again, in outer space where they could not move freely on their own for lack of oxygen. He would fight them where they couldn't get close to him. After all, no matter what kind of ship they could manage to get their hands on, a lost ship would always be superior.

After Gorun Nova left, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia sat on the ground resting for a while. They weren't sure how they were supposed to get off that planet. In a vessel similar to Gorun Nova, everyone save for Gourry would theorize, but where would they find such a thing on a deserted planet? How would they even find sustenance? What would they do if Gorun Nova recovered and returned or the other weapons of light turned vessels came looking for them?

Lina's quiet worries about food didn't escalate too far, as after a while of resting, just as they were getting ready to explore the planet they were on, a different concern occupied her mind. The shadow of not one, but two approaching vessels was casted upon them. They looked up to see two massive flying ships, noticeably larger than Gorun Nova, and wondered if they were the other weapons of light there to finish the job. "You guys don't happen to have any more brass rackets on you, do you?"

The group collectively shook their heads nervously at Lina's inquiry. The redhead was about to call for an emergency retreat, but paused when someone familiar reappeared before her eyes. "I'm back," Xellos announced casually, with a cheerful smile. His tone was just as carefree as the voice of one who is returning home from an ordinary trip to the store down the street.

"Xellos!" Filia exclaimed, rushing to him. "You had us worried you piece of raw garbage!" She yelled, speaking for the whole group of her own accord. She was very relieved to see him, though the ships overhead still made her nervous. However, if Xellos was so calm in their presence, then they couldn't be the enemy.

The two ships, one white and the other violet with golden details, landed a few feet away, just far enough to have enough space for their massive structures without flattening any of those present. As the wind created by the landing ceased, Lina asked about the two vessels, wondering if they had a will of their own like Gorun Nova apparently did. "About those ships..."

Before Lina could finish voicing the first of the many questions she wanted to ask, two others appeared before their eyes. The way they materialized out of no where reminded her of how monsters traveled through the astral side and teleported in different locations. She couldn't actually sense their energy, though that might be related to the lack of magic in the over-world, or at least, the lack of magic as she usually defined it. The incident with the brass racket had definitely been something powerful, yet strangely it felt very much like the game itself, as if the strength came from her persona rather than her magical energy. 

Lina did not recognize the woman in the pink and white maid outfit with the long pale green braid pigtails, but she did recognize the other female who had appeared. "Zelas..." Though the name was spoken with a dread that was only proper when addressing the annoying monster lord, Lina was very relieved to see Zelas alive. A part of her feared that Darkstar, who logically had to be a lot stronger than Gorun Nova, had managed to destroy her and the other monster lords. That would mean the loss of a very powerful ally in the fight against their mutual enemy.

Two other people rushed to meet with the group. One of them, a red haired young man wearing a cape came out of the white ship and from the violet ship, a blond young woman. "Well, it looks like everyone is here," Zelas observed. "I suppose I should introduce you. Everyone, this is Canal, she is..." how to explain it in terms that they could understand? "The spirit of the white vessel called Swordbreaker as well as a part of Vorfeed, the part that isn't Darkstar's prisoner."

"Night Dragon Vorfeed?!" Filia suddenly exclaimed. Her hands flew to her mouth, trying to stop any further outbursts. "Sorry about that, it's just that I never thought I would meet you like this."

"And I never thought I would meet the most elite legendary warriors of the other world like this either," Canal chirped. She seemed to be a cheerful girl who would get along well with Amelia.

"Legendary warriors?" Gourry wondered in confusion.

"I think she means us?" Zelgadis whispered, though he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. Just what had Zelas been telling Canal?

"Yes, indeed, they are my Slayers, the most elite warriors who serve me in my world." Zelas assured with a tone that threatened that no one should contradict her.

Lina and the others held their peace in the matter, except for Amelia who cheered, "Justice Slayers!" If that meant that they slew in the name of justice or slew justice was up to interpretation. Lina quietly mused that perhaps this was a matter of pride for Zelas. After all, she had been basically kidnapped from her world and had to retreat from Darkstar's challenge. The elite force that came to her aid had to be under her command, it wouldn't look good otherwise. Technicalities aside, they were all against Darkstar, so Lina decided that for the time being the details were not too important.

"This here is Kain Blueriver, the captain of the Swordbreaker and its main power source." Zelas continued, basking in the sense of authority that came with being the center of attention as provided the basic information. "Vessels such as these feed on emotions, positive in Swordbreaker's case and negative in mine. However, my assigned captain doesn't have to be particularly miserable for it to work, as I have been feeding off Millie's kitchen frustrations just fine lately. Speaking of which, this is Millennium Nocturne, the second best cook in the universe." 

Millie pouted at her introduction. Sadly this other-worldly beast had bested her in the kitchen, but she could at least claim to be the best in other areas, her aim for example, was still better via the manual controls of the Great Beast than Zelas' own targeting programs, which were part of her being. Then again, her aim was better than even Canal's automated system and she had a lot more experience in existing as a lost ship.

"You've already met Xellos, so let's move on to the rest of my elite task force," Zelas continued. "This carrot top little girl-"

"What?" Lina screeched loudly.

Zelas continued as if the interruption never occurred. "Is Lina Inverse, yes, the Lina Inverse. Which means that our cooking rivalry will have to continue another time, Millie. Since my crew is here I'm returning you to the Swordbreaker. Lina is the captain."

"That's fine; I want some time to work on some new recipes. I commend your creativity with ingredients you're not familiar with, but I assure you I'll recover my title as the best cook in the universe," Millie countered with mild amusement.

Lina was about to complain some more about the way Zelas' addressed her, but she quieted upon being called the captain. She was too proud of her leadership position being acknowledged to register that it meant Zelas would be feeding off her explosive temper, which would involve angering her for that purpose. The newly appointed captain snapped into attention as Gourry unexpectedly spoke up. "Wait a minute... Does that mean you're kicking Century off the team?" He frowned.

Millie wasn't sure who the blond man was talking about, until Zelas interjected. "It's Millennium, Millie if it makes it easier for you to remember and yes, I'm returning her to the Swordbreaker crew as I have my own power source now." 

The implications of the aforementioned power source would have become obvious for Lina at that point, if not for the fact that her attention was transfixed on Gourry and his apparent sudden interest in this stranger. Why did he care so much about Millie if he didn't even know her? They were, literally, from different worlds, so there was no way they could have met before that moment. "She's a cook and you can never have too many cooks around," Gourry reasoned in typical Gourry fashion.

Lina's small burst of possessive jealousy was extinguished before she could truly express it and she had to admit. "He does have a point."

"Actually," Kain stepped in with a laugh, "I'd like to have my cook back."

"A cook, that's all I am?" Millie pouted and with a resounding "hmp!" Crossed her arms and turned her head away from him, while Kain tried to appease her with excuses.

"This super smart swordsman is Gourry Gabriev." Zelas introduced him sarcastically, with only Canal really paying full attention at that point.

The green haired young woman stepped forward, past Lina and stood in front of Gourry. She looked into his eyes and took his face in her hands observing him closely, which caused Lina to shout. "What do you think you're doing?" And begin to stomp towards them.

As if reaching a conclusion in her examination, Canal released Gourry from her grasp and smiled in an expression that seemed to be unnervingly similar to Xellos' cheery face. "He's quite different after all!"

"Different?" Lina asked, some of her fury subsiding slightly. "Different from who?" She questioned with a good amount of remaining suspicion. 

Amelia sighed as a crazy theory formed in her active imagination. "Your missing sweetheart who was lost in the other world, whose return you loyally await?" The Seyruun princess sighed dreamily.

"Oh no!" Canal exclaimed. "I mean no offense, it's just that Darkstar's preferred human projection and his appearance when he acquired a human body before the battle that I believe came to be known as the Darkstar prophecy was slightly similar. He took on the form of a man with long blond hair, blue eyes and a similar height and build to Gourry, but their faces and expressions are completely different. Gourry's face is the opposite of Darkstar."

"Really?" Lina tilted her head curiously. At least she realized she had nothing to be jealous about if Canal's examination was born from cautious suspicion, rather than sudden attraction.

"I look like him?" Gourry frowned.

Not wanting to offend one of her new allies by comparing him to the dreadful enemy they would eventually face, Canal shook her head vigorously. "Oh no, no, your faces are very different. As I said, your expression is quite the opposite to him." There were also other small details that were different, such as Gourry's bangs being longer and his hair and eye color being slightly lighter.

"Okay," Gourry smiled. "Thanks," when it doubt, just take it as a compliment.

"Um... you're welcome?" Canal smiled back unsure, but friendly. And she thought Kain and Millie where an odd bunch. At least she would no longer be the lost ship with the strangest crew if the Slayers were now Zelas' crew. "Let's move on with the introductions, shall we?"

"Yes," Zelas nodded. "This is Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, heir to the throne of Seyruun."

"And a warrior of justice!" Amelia cheered happily.

Before the conversation turned into a justice speech, Zelas quickly moved on to Zelgadis. "That armored man is Zelgadis Greywords... I think. He was a chimera in our world, but I suppose since he was created by magical alchemic methods that don't exist in this world, it caused certain differences."

"A chimera?" Vorfeed looked at Zelgadis curiously. "Chimeras can exist here, I've seen a few, they are created through genetic engineering science in this world. The process would be different, but I don't see why a chimera would turn into a cyborg by crossing to another world. As far as I understand, living beings only change when their particular forms don't exist in the world they traveled to, so they take on a sort of equivalent form; like you did."

"Does that mean there's something terribly wrong with me?" Zelgadis worried.

"Let's not be pessimistic now," Canal cheerily encouraged him in a very Amelia-like tone. "You can come on board and I'll do a basic scan to map out your biological and mechanical components. Then maybe that will clarify what's going on."

Zelgadis, or anyone for that matter, didn't quite fully understand what that meant other than it being a sort of examination. He nodded a little unsure, "I would appreciate that?"

"Last and certainly least, this is Xellos' pet dragon, Filia Ul Copt," Zelas introduced.

"I'm not his pet!" Filia defended. In a similar topic to Zelgadis' recent discussion she asked. "Are there golden dragons in this world?"

"Dragon-like creatures and dragon-like alien civilizations yes, albeit they are rare. We call them dragons, but they are probably different from the dragons on your world, similar in appearance, but different in essence," Canal explained. 

"Why do you ask?" Kain joined in, remembering the taste of dragon meat he had tried. "Were you planning to bring a dragon over? That dragon meat Zelas had when she arrived was amazing!" Filia's angry glare nearly burned a hole through Kain's forehead and he jumped back in a startle. "When Zelas said pet dragon, she was only using a metaphor right? That's just a saying from your world, isn't it? A typical phrase?"

"Oh no, I was being quite literal." Zelas clarified with an amused expression of mischief lighting up her features. Her eyes had switched in a fiery orange hue probably denoting her determination in this war.

"I can't believe you corrupted the people of the over-world by making them eat dragon cuisine!" Filia exploded.

"I didn't force it on them, they were quite happy to devour the box lunch I happened to be carrying when I was brought here," Zelas clarified. "Sadly, I doubt the dragons available in this world are anything like golden dragons, nothing measures up to their delicious taste. No wonder they are called the dragon lords, they can make a meal fit for royalty!"

"My kind isn't food!" Filia complained.

"Right, right, if it talks, it shouldn't be eaten," Kain recalled. "Sorry about my earlier comment." He tried to appease the angry blond cyborg.

"It looks like you're a cyborg too," Canal brought the conversation back into the topic she thought Filia was trying to address with her earlier question about the possible existence of dragons in the over-world. "I'll give you a basic scan too and that should help us figure out the specifics of how your new form functions."

"Thank you," Filia tried to calm herself and give the over-worlders a good impression, if she could even begin to repair all the damage Zelas must have made. "I would be most grateful for your enlightenment Lord Night Dragon. I admit having a bazooka on my back like this is rather awkward."

"It's no trouble at all," Canal replied with a smile. "I'm pretty sure that bazooka is a jetpack and please, call me Canal. Well, shall we go on board the Swordbreaker?" She motioned to the white ship.

"Let's go!" Lina accepted the invitation, thinking it to be her duty to voice the reply as she was the leader of the elite force Zelas referred to as Slayers, as well as the captain of their ship. Speaking of ships, "if the white ship is Vorfeed's, I mean Canal's, then the purple one is mine?"

"It's me," Zelas replied as they made their way inside the Swordbreaker, towards the examination room following Canal.

"Yes, yes, yours," Lina pouted. "But I'm the captain." As she allowed Zelas' explanations and recent reply to sink in, there was something that she needed to hear directly to make sure it was perfectly clear. "The ship is... I mean, you are its spirit, that vessel is your form?"

"Yes," Zelas confirmed. "Xellos is a program in this world; he is purely digital, as I am. Digital is like the astral of the over-world, except digital beings must still have their data, their spirit, contained in a physical medium in order to exist here. That medium is the ship called Great Beast. Xellos is contained there as well."

"The forms you see are called holograms," Xellos added from what little had had the time to learn so far. "They are similar to the astral projections of monsters. Canal is a hologram too. However, we are still bound to the vessel where our essence is contained and cannot go too far away from it. Think of it as stretching the astral form without it coming detached from its container, it must always remain as a continuum."

"Nicely put, you're catching on," Zelas commended. Her mood had improved greatly since Xellos and the others arrived. She was tired of having to travel with Canal and borrow her human friend to feed on, while keeping her meal merciful so as to not provoke Canal's anger. Now she finally had her own crew and could part ways with the Swordbreaker and go off to become stronger. She had been studying the vast and complicated workings of the over-world through its massive digital public library called Internet and had learned a lot, enough she thought, to fend for herself in this strange world and guide her crew to adapt. Zelas wanted the Great Beast to surpass the Swordbreaker and then Darkstar, but she knew that would be a difficult task.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 044: Strategy! Negotiations And Plans

At the Swordbreaker, the scanner that Canal used to analyze Zelgadis and Filia was a human sized glass capsule where they stepped in one by one and a line of light passed over them. It felt a tad odd, like a light electrical surge, but it wasn't particularly bothersome. After Canal had the data in her systems, analyzing it was easy. "Let's see now... Zelgadis' mechanical components have been closely linked to his being. However, they are distinct from his human body in that removing them shouldn't cause any difficulties."

"You can remove them then?" Zelgadis was filled with excitement at the possibility. He had lost hope of finding a cure for his chimera condition in his world, but the over-world may be the answer.

"I could try, but why would you want that? You are stronger this way," Canal reasoned. "Besides, it looks like because of the magical and alchemic origin of your chimeraism all of it was converted to something that this world could fit in its logic. In other words, your genetics were in such a state that not even science could make them that way. If you cross over to your world without your armor, which represents your chimera components, you'll most likely end up as a normal human and all the hard work put into modifying your body will be lost."

"You think I did this on purpose," Zelgadis concluded more so than asked. "I don't want to be a chimera, being a normal human is exactly what I want!"

"Oh..." Canal blinked. She decided not to ask too much about the story behind all that, as it sounded complicated.

"Keep it," Zelas interfered.

"What?" Zelgadis didn't like where this was going. If Zelas stubbornly insisted that he shouldn't be changed, how was he supposed to oppose her? He didn't know how, but he knew he would. His cure was at last being handed to him and he wasn't about to let it go. Besides, surely Canal would take his side; she was a part of Vorfeed after all. Though Vorfeed's position was blurred at the moment, she surely wouldn't side with the cruel whims of a monster lord, or at least Zelgadis hoped not.

"For the time being," Zelas clarified. "That armor makes you stronger and you're going to need that. You're just getting used to this world and that means your inexperience makes you weaker. If you go back to being an ordinary human, your power will only decrease further and you don't have time to adapt right now. If you wish to bring that upon yourself when you return to our world that is not my concern, but keep the armor for the time being, or most of it at least."

"She does have a point," Amelia couldn't help it but to admit it. "How about we postpone the full armor removal and you stay as a," she recalled that word they called him, "cyborg for now?"

"Alright," Zelgadis logically agreed, "if it makes a difference." He had to remember that this was a war they were heading into and he would need all his power to survive, be able to protect Amelia and help their friends. He didn't like the idea of being another of Zelas' soldiers, but if it was an inevitable part of the situation, so be it. "Can you at least remove this part for now?" He pointed at the mask.

"Sure," Canal agreed. "I'll uninstall the mask and helmet for now and remove the rest before you make the trip back to your world. About that," Canal started getting to work on removing Zelgadis' mask. She pulled out a tool kit from a storage compartment on the Swordbreaker and began removing some bolts with an electric screwdriver. "How do you intend to go back anyway? Darkstar had to collect a lot of energy to summon Zelas, Dolphin and Dynast here, as his own power was only enough to transport himself and not completely."

"I was assuming that once we regrouped and won, Zelas could use her own power to get us home." Lina gave the monster lord a suspicious look.

"Your assumption is correct," Zelas agreed. "Although only the ultimate lords of the worlds have that kind of power to begin with, I will gain that power before we face Darkstar." Or at least that was the plan. "Of course, we can't expect such feats from Shabranigdu anymore. It's a pity he didn't discover the possibility when he was whole, though Ceifeed would have surely stood in the way anyway."

"So Shabranigdu and Ceifeed check out," Lina voiced. "What about you, Canal?"

"Vorfeed and I are divided, so as individual we do not have sufficient power for that." Canal's expression became saddened as she considered the possibilities. "I don't know if we'll be able to free Vorfeed from Darkstar, but she has told me that all that matters now is stopping him." It was something that filled Canal, Kain and Millie with worry, as they wished to save Vorfeed.

"To summarize," Kain spoke, "the only one who can travel between our worlds right now is Darkstar."

"What about the other lords?" Amelia inquired. "I don't know a lot about them, but aren't there at least four worlds?"

Lina touched her talismans. "Speaking of which, can you tell me anything about these talismans?"

Canal looked at the jewelry with curiosity. She knew the talismans were special only because of the way Lina made them sound as such, but she could sense nothing more about them. From what I can see those are devices of your world, they are powered by magic, right? If that is the case, I don't see how we could possibly activate them from here."

"I thought as much," Lina concluded. "What about the other lords from the other worlds though? Can't they help against Darkstar? I mean, for all we know he won't stop with our worlds. He's probably looking to find a way to continue gaining power and eventually move on to their worlds. What about Chaotic Blue and Death Fog? Or more likely, their lord of light counterparts, Blue Dragon and White Dragon? Where are Dynast and Dolphin anyway?"

"Dynast and Dolphin have been captured by Darkstar," Zelas revealed. "I doubt they will be able to join us."

"They are protected by a special program," Canal reminded hopefully. "Darkstar won't be able to absorb them into his being completely and as long as their AIs remain as individuals, separating them will still be possible. We don't have forever though, as Darkstar must be trying to break the code as we speak. I'm counting on Vorfeed to alert me when we start to run out of time. We'll have to head into battle then, in whatever conditions we are at the time, since waiting would make things much worse if Darkstar obtains the power of Dolphin and Dynast."

"As for the lords of the other worlds, I don't think they'll be involved." Kain spoke as if he had already discussed such things with his friends before. "Or maybe they can't be."

"When Darkstar and Vorfeed united and breached your world, they were not only summoned there, but they also wanted to go. It took that device that was in your world to guide them and their combined power to make the initial trip which left a sort of pathway behind," Canal explained. "Crossing between worlds for the first time is no easy task." There were rumors about a device called the 'Ruby Eyes System' capable of acting as a sort of connector of worlds, but those were only rumors that Canal thought were not real.

Seeing Lina's expression, Zelas knew that she was working to put it all together in her head and make sense of it. "Of course, you didn't think Celo's life would be enough to transport you between two completely separate worlds, did you? Rips between these two worlds had occurred before now, after the Darkstar prophecy, and others have crossed through those rips. If the worlds were still truly separate, enclosed as before, coming here wouldn't have been so easy."

"Celo's life?" Filia questioned. He had been Tiffany's husband and Tiffany had been her best childhood friend, so of course Filia was concerned about him. Besides, he was one of the few of Zelas minions, aside from Fang and Xellos, that Filia got along with fairly well.

"He powered your trip here with his sacrifice," Zelas confirmed.

Filia glared at Xellos, looking hurt. "You knew about that, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Xellos made no effort what so ever to deny it. After all, it was only logical that he would know. "There was no choice."

"Believe it or not, I would have rather not lost him, he was useful," Zelas ascertained. Filia lowered her head in sadness and remained silent. 

Millie sighed, "it sounds like we've all lost important people." She tried not to let her own memories get to her. "It's all the more reason why we need to stop Darkstar."

"And that's exactly what we'll do!" Amelia reaffirmed.

Canal finally finished getting all the small bolts off so that the helmet and mask on Zelgadis could be removed. After a silent pause, she announced, "Done! I finally got this off."

Everyone looked at Zelgadis in surprise. He was afraid to look at his own face, wondering what it could look like. Though in theory he was supposed to be a human and Canal's odd machinery seemed to indicate so, he wouldn't fully believe it until he saw it. Yet Amelia's face reassured him even before Millie handed him a mirror. "I'm... human..." It was so ironic that he found the cure when he was occupied on something else entirely that didn't involve obsessively looking for it.

"You did it! You found the cure!" Amelia cheered as she threw her arms around Zelgadis and kissed him, running a hand through his soft lavender hair. "Well, not really found it, since you weren't looking for it at the time, but you ran into it somehow anyway."

"Finally, after this is over, I'll be human!" Zelgadis was used to being disappointed, but he had a very strong feeling about it this time.

"Thank you Miss Canal for offering to complete the transformation later, and thank you too Miss Zelas, because if you haven't chosen us as your champions of justice that would journey to the over-world, this wouldn't have been possible." Amelia cheered gratefully.

Canal smiled, but Zelas glared. "Don't tempt me to kill you with such words," the monster lord warned.

Canal cleared her throat. "You won't be able to breathe under water and in space without the mask, but since you don't like it much, I could get you a replacement that's easy to put on and take off."

"I would be most grateful," Zelgadis sounded more cheerful than he had been in a long time. 

"Consider it done," Canal assured. "I'll get on it as soon as I'm done with the other analysis. Now let's see... The system has processed all the possibilities but it looks like Filia is a cyborg for keeps." Canal looked at the golden dragon turned cyborg as she explained. "The mechanical components are so deeply integrated that they cannot be removed without a serious risk to your life. I'm not surprised though. Those components represent your dragon aspects and you were born a dragon, so naturally, it's not something that can be easily removed," Canal informed.

"Then I'm normal?" Filia breathed.

"Yes." Or as normal as any of them could ever be, Canal quietly mused. "Here I have some reverse engineered blue prints created from the data. With this we can figure out the specifics of your system so you can get the hang of your new functions."

"Speaking of new functions," Lina brought up the subject that was only a matter of time before she would speak of. "Cyborgs are pretty strong aren't they? Maybe you can help me carry these!" She pulled out some stones from her cape. They had been jewels she picked up at the cave, but now they looked like brown stones. "What? These were gems!"

"Did you pick those up from the caves here?" Kain laughed. "They only glow because of the radiation of the planet. If you drop them on the ground they'll start glowing again, but don't worry, the radiation is harmless. If you were planning to take them as treasure, unfortunately, they're worthless." 

Lina grumbled as she began to empty all the useless rocks out of her cape. She found the broken handle of the brass racket and immediately asked about it. "What about this? It's a brass racket from our world. It's used for a sport there, but it was quite powerful against Gorun Nova!"

"Let's have a look," Canal examined the broken piece of brass racket. "This type of metal isn't ordinary brass, or at least not what we know as regular brass here. This is the type of metal use to channel psy-energy. It's very pure so it would be a powerful conductor! Psy-energy is the energy that comes from your very life and it is regulated by your emotions, which changes the type of energy it is. I can craft this metal into a weapon."

"Psy-energy, eh?" Lina mused aloud. "Well, we can't use magic, so we'll use that!"

"You're going to need more than one weapon though. I happen to acquire a good supply on my last job and could provide you with some weaponry... For a price," Kain offered.

Lina was on full alert with her cunning on high ready to try to get a good deal. "What did you have in mind."

"I'll give you an extra weapon aside from the one Canal will craft if you give me your cape as a souvenir!" Kain suggested.

Millie slapped her forehead. "I knew it! It was only a matter of time before he tried to obtain that cape! Really Kain, don't you have enough black capes already?"

"Shh! Quiet Millie, I'm negotiating here!" Kain urged.

"Her cape?" Gourry finally spoke up. "So that's what you were staring at!" He exclaimed with great relief.

"He was staring at my cape?" Lina blinked. "I didn't notice." She looked at the others and their knowing expressions told her that they had noticed. She thought about Gourry's relief upon learning that Kain's interest was on her cape and her heart skipped a bit. Was he actually getting jealous for a minute there? As much as she wanted to focus on that and explore the possibilities, Lina had some business to conduct first. "I might not be very willing to let go of this cape. It's quite sturdy and durable; it's seen a lot of adventures." She spun around, modeling the cape and tempting Kain with it. She had found his weakness and she was certainly willing to take advantage of it. "But since I'm feeling particularly generous today, I'll let you make a few offers and we'll see where that goes." Kain had a bad feeling about this.

xoxox xox xoxox

While Zelgadis and Filia studied the abilities of their new forms with Canal, Millie occupied herself in chatting with Amelia, not wanting to witness what Kain would do to get his hands on Lina's cape. At least Canal reminded him that she owned the Swordbreaker and most of the things inside it, so he better not offer them out. Millie warned him not to offer any of her things either. 

In the end, Lina obtained a good haul of supplies, which was good, since the Great Beast wasn't exactly equipped to support a crew living within it. Zelas was a dark lost ship, she was expected to torment her captain and drain their life away, then find another one, though she intended to keep the ever useful crew alive. After all, she planned to return alive and well to her world and there would surely be other occasions in the future when Lina Inverse and the others would prove to be useful. Among the things Lina obtained, there were various weapons that she couldn't wait to see in action.

After the dealings were complete, the two ships decided, by Zelas' choice mostly, that it was time to part ways for the time being. Thus the Swordbreaker left in one direction with Canal, Kain and Millie, while in another direction there went the Great Beast with Zelas, Xellos, Filia, Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis.

Zelgadis had a new helmet, which had to be larger to make it easy to put it on and take it off. The shade of blue was darker than the blue parts of his armor, but he didn't mind, though he thought the cat ears were a bit much, but it was a useful piece of equipment so he shouldn't get too picky. Shades and a mask could be used to cover the face and retracted at will. Apparently Canal had installed the helmet's control drives, whatever that was, into the armor's system, which was already linked to Zelgadis' psy-energy. Zelgadis reasoned that her explanation meant something along the lines of him being able to control the helmet's mask and visor being opened and closed over his face by thinking it.

Zelas was holding a small item, which in that world would be called a microchip, as the group traveled through space. Most of her crew was occupied in looking out the window, fascinated by the seemingly endless blackness with the blurred lines of light, which were actually the points of light of stars that looked like lines because of their motion speed. The chip was an item Xellos happened to be carrying when he arrived. The drawing on the back of it looked like the picture on the back of Zelas' deck of cards. Though she had managed to hold on to the box lunch, she dropped all her cards when she was summoned so she did not obtain an item like this from any of them. 

Zelas reasoned that if the chip had come from her cards that hid luck runes, then it would be alright to install it. She had been studying her vessel's inner workings since she arrived at that world after Canal's assistance concerning Darkstar. It was complicated, but she was understanding it, she was a sort of computer after all. She opened a panel under the main controls of the vessel and searched for a place to fit the chip until she found one. Once it was adjusted, she closed up the panel. It was only a small luck rune, but something was better than nothing, a small improvement would still be an improvement after all. That was what Zelas planned to do. She would upgrade her vessel with the technology of that world and gain power for the coming battle. 

There was also another issue she needed to take care of. The negative psy-energy that powered her also empowered Darkstar. She couldn't effectively fight him in the way Canal could with the Swordbreaker's ability to feed on and attack with positive energy. Albeit, peculiarly, the white lost ship was also able to run on wrath. Zelas had heard the story of a vast burst of power Kain experienced upon channeling pure rage through Swordbreaker's main psy-energy canon. It was very strong, but ultimately useless against Darkstar when they faced him before. Even so, if a lost ship of light could work with wrath, than perhaps a dark lost ship could channel something like courage, for example. 

Darkstar's Dugradigdu couldn't work with positive psy-energy, but maybe Zelas could find a way for her Great Beast to accomplish wielding courage without injuring herself. After all, courage had been instrumental in battling Darkstar in the over-world before, so it would probably be vital this time around too. Yet how could she ever use it as a weapon if in her current state it weakened her? She would just have to find a way, but whatever she did, she would not change. Zelas was determined to remain as a being of darkness, a pure monster, or for now a pure dark lost ship. That made her mission much more difficult, but what was life without a challenge?

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 045: Disguise! The Art Of Being Unrecognizable

While Zelas, Xellos, Filia, Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis were traveling through space in the over-world, their world was at a standstill of sorts where neither the monsters nor the dragons dared to make a move. Milgazia found himself wondering how things were going in the over-world one quiet afternoon as he went for a walk around Dragon's Peak in the Kataart Mountains to see up close how the members of his clan were doing and reassure them. Although he wasn't keen on the idea of fighting alongside a monster lord, he didn't want to entrust the fate of the world to her either. Zelas would be fighting Darkstar with everything she had, he had no doubts of that, but it would be for revenge. That meant that as long as she accomplished her goals and enough of the world survived to provide sustenance for her and her monsters; that would be enough for her. 

Yet it wasn't enough for Milgazia, he didn't want any sacrifices that could be avoided. He looked up to the skies again and really wished he was there to oversee the whole mission, even if he wouldn't be able to do too much against the monster lord if she got too stubborn. Maybe his words would make a difference if he phrased things cleverly enough or came up with some kind of strategy. He knew that though tedious and annoying, even monster lords were not impossible to deal with, albeit more often than not negotiations of that kind would turn aggressive. Since when did he get so involved in matters so far beyond the immediate business of his clan?

Milgazia found himself remembering his past self, a much more reclusive dragon who was very reluctant to associate with humans. Yet now, he considered Lina and several of her traveling companions to be his friends. It was a change that occurred over time, starting with his travels with the warrior of light, who was also known as the swordsman of light, despite actually being a woman. Yet the warrior's legend was obscured and filled with rumors, so her real identity was lost to tales of grandeur. Even so, at least her mark was remembered in some way, even if it was with the name of a faceless legendary hero. His mind went back to those days traveling with her, the human who made him open up to the world around him. 

There were two others who had been present during that fateful series of events that ended with Flagoon being planted at Sairaag after the Zanaffar's defeat well over a hundred and twenty years ago. Those others were not aware of each other's participation in the event and perhaps the only one who was aware of the irony of it all was the Lord of Nightmares herself. This was the tale of an event from long ago that had seemingly no consequences towards anything beyond it, but in reality it did. After all, life is like a row of dominoes and once they're set in motion, falling one after the other, there's no stopping it.

That occasion when Xellos and Filia met for the first time, that is to say, when they truly met each other as each other's true selves, Filia had a very negative reaction to Xellos. She wanted to stay away from him. Naturally, a golden dragon was supposed to hate monsters, but her over the top reaction left Xellos in a state of surprised intrigue that would eventually lead to an irresistible curiosity and to a long series of events culminating in an unlikely union, and continuing on beyond it. 

Yet why was her reaction so panicked, so extreme, so memorable? Perhaps because of something hidden away in her past; something that might have been overshadowed by the grander scheme of things and tugged away in memories that were no longer visited. If for her the memory was not something to be disturbed with remembrance, then for him even more so. After all, that human girl whom Xellos never knew was in fact a golden dragon should be long since dead by now. The event in question happened well over a hundred and twenty years ago. 

Rumors of a defective Zanaffar armor that would soon become a Zanaffar beast reached Zelas Metallium at that time in the past. Naturally, she welcomed it as good news. There was also another piece of information that stood out to her from Xellos' recent report, which she was discussing with the general priest at Wolf Pack Island at the time. "So a representative for the dragons unfortunate enough to live within the barrier has been trailing that human who goes around displaying acts of heroism with the sword of light?"

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," Xellos confirmed. He knew that Zelas had heard him perfectly well when he shared the information the first time. She was stressing her curiosity on the matter and asking for more information with her inquiry, instead of requesting a clarification. "His name is Milgazia; he is the elder of the water clan."

"Ah yes," Zelas nodded, recalling the name of an earlier tale of Xellos. If anyone told her that she'd be playing brass rackets regularly with that very same dragon over a century later, she would laugh, express that such a thing wouldn't happen in a hundred, thousand or even a million years and then kill the fool who dared to suggest such a joke in such poor taste. But then, that was what made life interesting, it's plethora of surprises and unexpected twists and turns. She recalled Milgazia from Xellos' report of the War of the Monsters Fall. The now dragon elder, formerly a high ranking general, had taken over the leadership of the clan after the previous leader had been killed by Xellos. The purple haired general priest had mentioned Milgazia a few times as being one to have no qualms about wielding black magic if it was necessary and was rather skilled in strategizing. "A little spitfire, is he?" Zelas had asked with a chuckle.

"Pretty dull, actually," Xellos had informed. "Or maybe he was masking his emotions so as to not feed me with rage. That dragon has the dullest taste I've ever had the displeasure to try." Yet somehow, he lived, through the many disastrous battles he challenged the odds and lived. 

Focusing her mind away from the past war and on the current conversation, Zelas inquired. "Why is Milgazia trailing the hero instead of directly searching for the Zanaffar?"

"I have not been able to acquire that information." Xellos admitted with disappointment.

"It puzzles me," Zelas emphasized, meaning that she wanted Xellos to find out. Having to spend all her time cooped up at Wolf Pack Island, so as to not leave her position in the barrier's formation, was rather annoying at times. She was bored and this news about the Zanaffar was the most interesting thing she had heard in years. "I'm sure Milgazia must have heard about the rumors concerning the Zanaffar. Even a good amount of humans have heard. We can assume that he doesn't know where it is," and neither did they. "After all, if he knew where to find the Zanaffar, it would make sense to hurry towards the armor now and prevent it from becoming the beast. Yet why, instead of actively searching for it, is this dragon trailing the hero?" Zelas threw the questions around as if the answers would be revealed if she pondered them enough, yet they weren't.

"The hero isn't a particularly big threat to the monster race, nor do I believe she could be of a significant use to the dragons," Xellos theorized. "I doubt Milgazia is after the legendary blade of light, or else he could have easily taken it. He seems to be interested in observing her though, not really interfering much with what she does and allowing her to call the shots. If I hadn't faced off against Milgazia before and seen he is more cunning than most dragons, I would think this is the case of some mindless dragon following a human like an idiot." He frowned upon being unable to decipher the actions. Milgazia was a tricky one alright. "The Zanaffar and Milgazia's sudden interest in following the warrior of light might not even be related at all. Why he's wasting his time following her instead of looking for the armor is a true puzzle, which I intend to solve."

"Go and do just that," Zelas decided. "However, I don't want Milgazia to know that he is being trailed. You mentioned before that he was hard to read and rather cunning for a dragon. I don't even want as much as a rumor about a purple haired traveler reaching him. With the rumors of the Zanaffar going around among humans, their gossip mill is unusually active and surely Milgazia will be attentive to it. He must be out to find information somehow, though his true purposes remain unknown to us. We can't discard the possibility that his interest in the warrior of light is nothing but a ruse to make us think he's not actively searching for the Zanaffar. Blend in among humans and observe, but do so in disguise. I know you are attached to your current projection, but this time, I want you to alter your appearance as the one you usually have is one that Milgazia would without a doubt remember."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," Xellos teleported away after the final instruction from his master. His mind was occupied in thinking what he would make himself look like. His usual appearance was cheery and harmless, it went well with humans, but it was too Xellos. Maybe something less cheery would be best, something more sinister so as to very ironically, hide in plain sight. But not too sinister, he had to look human after all. No purple... Perhaps black or red?

xoxox xox xoxox

Far away from the peninsula, in the land that would be known as part of the outer continents later on, a younger Filia sat sadly on a lonely hill. Her dear friend Tiffany had broken countless dragon rules and everything ended in what was from Filia's perspective a tragedy. She would never see her friend again, or at least she thought she wouldn't. Tiffany had said that she would understand when she was older and fell in love, but Filia never thought she could challenge her race's rules like that. She found no comfort in her rock dolls; as they only reminded her about how Tiffany would always play tea party with her, despite the older dragon female being more interested in other things that had little to do with tea, or more like preoccupied. It would be well over a century before Filia truly understood her childhood friend and her actions, but for the time being, the adolescent dragon was just sad. 

She had some time off from her studies and chores at the temple, but that didn't make Filia feel any better. In fact, she felt worse, having less to occupy herself with. Looking to understand Tiffany's fascination with humans, which led her to run away with a human lover, Filia decided that she would observe humans herself. In truth Tiffany's lover and eventual husband was a human and monster chimera, but Filia didn't know that at the time. In a rush of sadness that made her act rashly, Filia hurried away, further and further from dragon lands until she eventually reached a human town. 

Filia had been traveling for days and her body was a little stiff from maintaining a human form for so long. She was supposed to be on vacation though, so the others at the temple would probably assume she went camping or something, or perhaps off to visit another dragon clan. She stretched, arching her back and her tail popped out. A merchant was leading a mule to pull a cart full of crops, the animal struggling to pull its weight down the street of the small town. The merchant, a man in his early thirties with dark brown hair and small green eyes, was holding a sack of more precious wares over his shoulder. He, among a few other random passers, saw Filia's tail pop out. His shock caused him to drop the sack, which fell on the mule, startling the animal. With new found strength originating from the fright, the mule jerked so strongly, that the old worn belts of the harness broke.

Leaving its cargo behind, the mule dashed away from its shocked owner, who could only stand there staring. The animal ironically ran in Filia's direction, startling her into screaming and jumping out of the way. A blond young woman holding a basket of newly purchased goods, screamed "monster!" At the top of her, rather healthy and loud, lungs, pointing her accusing trembling finger at Filia.

Filia gasped and jumped again in fright, thinking that there was a monster behind her. Yet there was nothing there, she would have sensed it if there was. The market place erupted into a frenzy, as the golden dragon realized that she was the monster the humans were making a fuss about. "Please stop! I'm not a monster!" She stomped her foot for emphasis, and shook her head. As her golden hair bounced from side to side, her long ears became apparent, but the tail had already made the humans conclude that she was not an elf. The exasperation made Filia's fangs grow as she strongly denied having any affiliation to monsters. Her finger nails became claws as she further lost control over her form due to the stress. 

Before she lost her human-like shape entirely, Filia ran away. She ducked into a lonely street, pushing her legs to carry her away at full speed. She turned a corner down a dark alley and saw a humble dark blue tent with yellow stars sewn into it, the fabric faded from being exposed to the elements. Without thinking about where she was going, Filia stumbled inside and stopped to catch her breath.

"Hello, young one," the voice made Filia jump. Seeing her frightened expression, the old woman tried to soothe her unexpected visitor. "Calm yourself, young one. I will not bring any harm to you."

Filia nodded, her chest still heaving with deep unsteady breaths. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, then finally spoke. "I apologize for barging in like this. The people out there," she frowned, her eyes brimming with tears. "They called me a monster."

"How mean," the old woman was wrapped in an odd attire, which consisted of many different fabrics sewn together in multicolored robes. Her eyes were blue and her hair gray with age. "It is clear to me that you are not a monster, but a dragon."

Filia nodded, then shifted uncomfortably. "Are you okay with that?" She inquired shyly. "I heard that there are humans that fear dragons as much as monsters, regardless of how ridiculous the notion may seem."

The old woman chuckled; clearly, this young dragon was unaware of the darker side of human and dragon history. Yet she wasn't here to educate the girl in the ways of the real world. She was only a traveling merchant and nothing more, though she had been a powerful sorceress once and in truth, she still was, albeit in a less flashy way. Ah how she missed those days, what she wouldn't give for her youth. Then again, maybe she could have it back, then she would be beautiful again and she would be able to serve Gaia and... She was getting ahead of herself again. "Indeed," the old woman laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am, how rude of me not to introduce myself," Filia formally apologized. "I am Filia Ul Copt, apprentice priestess for the Flare Lord."

"It is good to meet you Miss Filia, I am known as Venus." The old woman introduced herself. "May I ask what brings you here?"

"Ah yes, my visit is rather unusual," Filia admitted. "I do not wish to cause any disturbances. I only wish to observe humans and get to know their culture."

"I think I can help you with that," Venus offered. A little mischief might just cheer her up. At first Filia assumed that the elderly lady would share tales of human wisdom, but instead she dug into an old trunk in a corner of the tent and pulled out a golden choker with a ruby at its center. "This is a special magical amulet that will disguise your energy. A sorceress would use this to hide her true power, or in your case, your identity as a dragon. With this, you will also have full control over your human form." It was a lie, as even if Filia would indeed appear human, that wasn't the real purpose of the amulet. The choker was a trap, something to seal away one's magic, cursed so that it could not be removed. "With this you can blend in and observe the human race freely."

"Really?" Filia received the choker, her eyes shining with innocent curiosity. "May I purchase it then?" Filia paused with a sudden realization. She had left in a hurry without preparations and had no human currency with her. A dragon could obtain such things, but not without a good reason, thus trying to come up with an explanation to get it would have been impossible. "Oh wait, I can't buy it, I have no human money."

"I will give it to you, albeit I must charge you if you wish for any service to be performed on it," Venus offered.

"Really? Wow, that's so kind of you!" Filia happily exclaimed. Sapphires and emeralds were more so her preferred gems, but the ruby would do just fine. She wouldn't ask for any alterations on the jewelry charm's appearance, as that was what she thought Venus referred to when she said service. 

"Don't mention it," Venus gave her a deceiving smile. "Enjoy it; I'll even give you this." She pulled out a bottle from the trunk. "It is a potion to change the color of your hair temporarily, in case you wish to change your appearance so that the townspeople won't recognize you."

"You're really too kind, thank you so much Lady Venus!" Filia cheered. 

"You are quite welcome," Venus replied.

Without giving it much thought, Filia drank the potion, which thankfully did only what Venus claimed it would. Except by temporary she meant that her hair would be back to its original color when it grew out, but a different hair color would be the least of Filia's worries. Her golden hair turned chestnut brown. Her clothing was nothing that stood out, just a simple pink dress, as Filia had left her white cloak and jewelry behind. Now she could blend in perfectly. She then put on the choker and felt her energy constrain. She gasped, but withstood it and suddenly felt somewhat fragile. Perhaps this was all part of the human disguise. "Thank you again, Lady Venus, I'm sure this experience will be most enlightening!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure it will be," Venus agreed. She laughed maliciously as soon as Filia had gone away down the alley and was out of earshot. "Most enlightening indeed," at least the dragon girl would learn not to trust strangers.

To be Continued


	16. Chapter 16

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 046: Stranded! Struggling Against The Merciless Sea

Thanks to the chocker and the new hair color, Filia managed to blend in at the human town. A few people gave her a second glance, but they moved on after concluding that the similar pink dress was just a coincidence and this girl was not the same as the one with the tail. Even the top of her ears were perfectly rounded like a human. She still felt a tad fragile, but she figured it must be the magical pressure the choker made on her to keep her form perfectly human. 

After some observation, Filia noted that humans weren't so unusual after all. They had a town, a market and they went about their business. They were loud and somewhat unruly by her standards, but whatever qualities had apparently attracted Tiffany still remained a mystery to Filia. She did notice that there were great variations from one human to another. Maybe she just wasn't observing the right type of human, maybe she just had to keep looking, she had the time after all. 

The constrained feeling in her body was getting to be annoying. Maybe she could duck into an alley and stretch her tail a bit where no one could see her. She found a suitable place for that, glad that the structures of the little town were so tightly packed, however, she was unable to remove the chocker. 'Don't panic,' Filia thought to herself. She walked out of the alley and tried to find her way back to Venus. The temple where she lived was a lot larger than this town, but it had a very organized symmetrical structure that the human town lacked. The place was small but built like a maze of confusing winding streets that turned narrower and wider without warning, full of turns that made no sense to Filia. It was as if they just kept on building wherever and didn't plan out the town's structure at all.

After some time of wondering, Filia found her way back to where Venus' tent had been. There was a long line of people standing in front of it now, waiting to have their fortune read. Filia sighed and reasoned that cutting in line would be terribly rude, thus she waited. Finally, her turn came and she was able to speak to Venus. "Lady Venus, I seem to have a small problem," she spoke calmly as she didn't know the extent of her problem just yet. "The choker is stuck, or maybe I just don't understand the proper way to remove it."

"I shall provide the removal service for a price," Venus offered mockingly.

"Removal service?" Filia didn't like where this was going.

"That will be a hundred gold coins," Venus informed with a serious face and a malicious stare.

"What?" Filia loudly exclaimed. It was no wonder she was told to be weary of the world outside of the temple walls. "You can't do that, this is a rip off!" 

Filia was just about ready to throw a tantrum when Venus called out to a new arrival who stood just outside her tent. She recognized him as either Biggs or Wedge, one of the pair of twins who were madly in love with the mayor's only daughter, who showed no interest in either. Venus had profited from their rivalry, setting them up to one up each other in a series of useless competitions that did little to amuse their beloved. "Is that you my boy? This young lady is causing trouble, please see her out."

Biggs or Wedge, which ever he was, stepped forward towards Filia. His dark brown messy hair spoke of another sleepless night contemplating his heartbreak. Big amber eyes looked at Filia with disapproval as he pouted. "Miss, you shouldn't cause trouble for Venus, please leave now."

Filia could just about explode with anger. "She tricked me!"

As if wanting to shield the tricky old woman from the sheer volume of the girl's voice, the young man stepped between them. "Please leave!" He insisted sternly.

Filia growled and in a rash action attempted to push the nosy young man out of her way so she could give Venus a piece of her mind. The problem was that he wouldn't budge. Gritting her teeth, Filia took the young man's arm and pulled with all her might, feeling her energy constrain as she did. She finally let go, out of breath, while the young man stood firm and smug. Realizing that this human body was limited to the strength of a human, Filia glared, threw her head back and walked away. She wished she had a weapon or something, then again, even if she carried a heavy weapon with her, she wouldn't be able to lift it right now. But if for whatever reason she ever had to go out among humans again, not that she ever wanted to, she would definitely be armed with a mace or something. 

Her angry stride turned to a desperate run. Filia's distraught running led her to the pier. She allowed her tears to flow out freely. How could she go back to the temple now? She was stuck in a human body, surely the dragon elders could removed the choker, but what would they say? She couldn't let them know! She had to get out of this terrible problem on her own. Humans were tricky and terrible creatures. She didn't like them at all. She pulled at the choker, but no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't able to get it off.

"Hey there missy," a gruff voice made Filia jump. "You okay, girly?"

Filia looked up to see a tall muscular man with tanned skin, dirty blond hair and piercing brown eyes. He appeared to be a sailor. "It's not every day some pretty girl is found crying like that, with no one to console her. You okay, missy?"

Lacking a sense of malice at such an early point in her life, Filia sensed no danger from this man, who might have caused the mental alarms of any other girl to go off full force. "I'm... in need of currency," she confessed. She had no choice but to pay Venus to remove the choker. Or remove it by force, "actually, could you help me with something? You seem strong," or strong for a human at least. She was certain she was far stronger as a dragon, even in elf-form, but right then, she was a human.

"So you like muscles, miss?" The man flexed his arms. The girl was shy and young, but quite pretty and she showed no apprehension towards him. 

"Um..." Filia decided not to comment on the ridiculous display, which the sailor interpreted as awe and fed his ego. Finally she requested. "Mister, you see this choker on my neck, it's stuck and I wish to remove it. Could you please get it off? It doesn't matter if you have to break it, just please, get it off."

"That's a strange request, but alright." The man placed his large hands on the choker, making Filia finally start to feel uneasy around him. He pulled at it from both sides, but it didn't come off. He turned the jewelry around on Filia's neck, looking for some sort of clip or something. The golden piece was soldered together somehow though he did see a thin line where it looked as if it once opened up. Yet there it was, like a bangle around the neck in a size that couldn't have possibly fit over her head. "This thing's stuck good! Did they craft it on your neck or what?"

"Um..." Filia didn't think she should reveal she was a dragon, so she limited herself to saying, "it's an amulet, but I don't want to wear it anymore."

"Ah, so it's a magical device," the man realized. "Those are pretty rare; it would fetch a mighty price."

"You can have it if you get it off," Filia offered, hoping that it would serve as a motivation.

The sailor tried to get the chocker off again, but after much effort, his arms dropped to his sides. "Missy, you're going to have to see a magic user for this. There's one in town, an old hag by the name of Venus."

Filia frowned, she didn't even bother to point out one's elders should be respected, because that terrible Venus was no kind and wise old lady, she was a con artist. "She said she would charge me a hundred coins to remove it and I don't have any money."

"Ah, so that's what you were talking about before," the sailor realized. "Well that's pretty much all you can do missy, I can still help you though. Some friends and I are going on a little voyage to investigate an area out at sea. There's treasure to be found there, precious treasures that were lost and have no owner. Valuable gold and jewels that are just waiting to be claimed!" The area he spoke of was the island vaguely visible beyond a barrier that he foolishly believed he and his crew could break through. It was Wolf Pack Island, where nothing but doom awaited, if they even managed to get close to it, but the sailor foolish thought it was the perfect hiding place for pirate treasure. "How about you come along on our ship? I can offer you a job as a cook. The guys and I are tired of eating our own lousy cooking. I assume you can make a decent meal? Take this job and you'll get more than just a hundred coins!"

Filia nodded eagerly, she wasn't an expert in the kitchen, but she knew how to cook. "Can I have the job, really? Oh thank you mister..."

"Joe, just call me Joe," the sailor replied. "And drop the mister stuff; it's not fitting for a ship captain."

"Thank you Captain Joe," Filia replied.

"Just Joe, don't be so formal with me, cutie," he winked.

Filia found the behavior to be quite odd but paid it little mind. "Very well then, Joe." She wouldn't be tricked by a human again. This was different as far as she knew. She wasn't accepting any convenient favors from strangers; she was doing a job, she was giving him something in exchange for what she would receive. "Will the trip be long though?"

"Oh no, we should be back in a week or so," Joe replied. "We're leaving right away." He pointed to a modest medium sized ship anchored at the docks. "Got any luggage to pick up, missy?"

Filia smiled, relieved. "No," Filia replied, "and my name is..." she paused, should she really be giving away her name? Maybe she should be more careful with her identity. What should she call herself then? This was lying, but if she could think of it as a nickname it felt less like a lie. She recalled a book Tiffany had snuck into the temple and showed her. It was human literature about romance and it was rather scandalous by the standard of the stricter dragon clans. Even so, the name of the female protagonist was perhaps common among humans. "My name is Juliet," Filia finally finished, "sorry to have taken so long to introduce myself."

"No worries, Juliet," Joe voiced, "you're cute being all shy."

"Um... ah... thank you," Filia answered unsure. 

"Hey Joe! We're ready over here!" A man with long hair tied in a low ponytail and a clumsily trimmed black beard waved to Joe from the other side of the pier, near the ship.

"We're coming!" Joe called back, leading the way, with Filia wordlessly following him.

As Joe and Filia boarded the ship, the other sailors took a notice of her immediately. A younger man with short auburn hair, black pants and boots and a bare toned tan torso approached her curiously. "Well hello there cutie-pie."

"Um... hi..." Filia's uneasiness grew. She didn't like the way these men were looking at her. She didn't like how Joe looked at her either, but this one was half naked. She looked away shyly. Perhaps this wasn't the best crowd of humans to associate with, yet she needed the job. She needed to get that choker off her neck and put this terrible mistake behind her. She should have never ran off.

"Hold it there, Rick, can't you see the girl is shy?" Joe interfered. "Besides, she's under the captain's protection, if you know what I mean."

"Aw c'mon Joe, share with your crew," Rick joked.

"The only thing you'll be tasting from her is her cooking," Joe laughed.

Filia let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Even if the humans were rather rough and strange, maybe they weren't so bad. Maybe Joe was one of the good ones, even if he looked a little wild and made her feel uneasy as she spent more time with him. He said he'd protect her, so maybe he was a responsible captain after all. 

xoxox xox xoxox

The ship set sale on a strong wind and by the time night fell, they were a good way far from the shore. Filia busied herself in the kitchen below deck, where thankfully no one bothered her. She wasn't very pleased though, as the kitchen was rather dirty and she thought such an environment was very improper for the preparation of food. She tried her best to clean it, though the cleaning supplies available were next to nothing. Eventually, she served out some food in the dinning area where the sailors talked loudly and made a ruckus drinking beer and stuffing their faces with her cooking.

"Hey, cutie, come and sit next to your captain," Joe called out, motioning for the chair next to him. 

Filia was reluctant, but told herself she was being silly. The humans were odd and at times a little unsanitary, especially the men from what she'd seen, but this was part of their culture and she had to respect it. This was nothing like in the story Tiffany showed her, but that was called fiction for a reason. After a pause, Filia took a small step forward, not wanting to offend the captain. She stumbled suddenly as the ship violently shook. 

"Get out there men!" Joe suddenly commanded as he jumped out of his chair. The ship rocked violently again and Filia fell to the floor as the sailors stumbled to get above deck leaving the dinning area in a mess of spilled food and drinks.

Above deck, the sailors found that the cause of the disturbances was not the anger of the sea, or a storm of the skies, it was the rage of a living beast. A giant squid was wrapping its massive tentacles around the vessel! Filia managed to get herself above deck and gasped. That squid was not a normal sea creature. She focused on sensing it while the men wielded spears in a fruitless effort to fight it off. She couldn't sense it at all; the amulet stuck on her neck prevented her. Yet when the creature spat out flames, she didn't need to sense its energy to know what it was. That thing was indeed not an ordinary sea creature; it was a monster that had wondered off from Deep Sea Dolphin's territory! 

In desperation and alarm, Filia tried to cast a spell but found that she could not. Filia saw her life flash before her eyes. She didn't know what she could do; she didn't know how she could ever survive this. Suddenly the monster's strong tentacles broke the ship in half. Filia fell to the water, struggling to reach the surface. The ship's mast had fallen, broken into pieces. Filia held on to one of the portions to stay afloat. The disturbed sea pushed her and her floatation device away from the battle that had quickly turned into a massacre. Filia could only kick her legs in the water and keep trying to propel herself further away from the monster.

Thankfully, the squid was occupied with the men and didn't notice Filia slip away. Terrified, Filia kept on advancing through the water for she didn't know how long. Albeit her body was no longer as strong as a dragon, in terms of defense it was at least a little more resistant than a human, but still relatively fragile. At least she had a little more energy to spare than a normal human girl would have. Even so, exhaustion eventually overtook Filia and she fell asleep with her arms and head on the piece of mast and the rest of her body floating in the waters that had eventually turned still.

Filia wasn't sure for how long she had been floating as she had gone from sleeping to unconscious, but she eventually floated close to the monster barrier. Though Zelas couldn't leave her island, she could at least walk along its surface and gaze into the distance. She looked beyond the transparent glow of the barrier and saw a girl floating just outside. She could feel that there was still life left in her and wondered how in the world that was even possible. Where did she come from anyway? Regardless of that, this was an unusual occurrence and therefore welcomed by Beast Master, who had become bored again, waiting for Xellos' next report. "Fang!"

A black sphere appeared next to Beast Master, morphing into a human shape. The monster looked like the fox chimera of the later days in human form, except for the lack of fox tail and ears. His expression was also noticeably different with ferocious silver eyes that strongly resembled the eyes of his master, a sharp contrast to his innocent silver eyes of later times. "Yes, Lord Beast Master?" Though the studies were on their way after noting how things went with Celo's transformation a few years ago, Fang had not yet been united with a fox. Thus he was still a pure monster that held malice, rather than playful innocence. He respected Xellos as his master's general priest and his superior, but did not yet have the friendly attachment he would develop in the future.

"Fetch me that girl, I will open the barrier for you, but be quick about it," Zelas instructed.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," Fang approached the barrier as Zelas focused. Even an astral being couldn't go in and out of the barrier which went beyond the physical plane. 

At Zelas' command, a hole appeared in the barrier while the rest of it remained untouched. Fang swiftly retrieved the unconscious girl from the sea and returned to his master's side. As soon as her minion and the strange visitor were within the barrier, Zelas closed it up again and allowed her energy to continue flowing into it as it had been doing for centuries since the War of the Monsters' Fall. "You may go now." Fang placed the girl on her back on the ground at Zelas' feet and teleported away, leaving his master to whatever she was going to do with the girl he assumed to be a human. 

The monster lord knelt beside the girl curiously. There was something about her that was unusual for a human. She reached to touch the choker and sensed its magic. The monster lord placed a hand on Filia's forehead and tried to sense what she really was. Zelas' lips curled into a curious smile. So the girl was a golden dragon disguised as a human, the choker made her appear as such, at the price of locking away her power. It was cursed so as to not be removed. A monster lord like Zelas could sense all that with a good amount of focus, but an average and even a high ranking monster wouldn't be able to. Even Xellos wouldn't notice this girl's true nature unless he was purposely looking for it. The adolescent dragon girl would surely be distraught when she woke up and realized where she was, but there was no reason to kindly inform her. Maybe it would be more fun if she didn't know where she was and helplessly tried to get rid of the cursed choker and go home. In fact, maybe it would be more fun if even Xellos was oblivious to her true nature. 

A wide amused smile full of mischief overtook Zelas' elegant features. She would send this girl to Xellos to snack on her emotions, as she would surely be distressed. She would tell him to travel with her as part of his disguise and listen to his reports about it later. It would be both useful and hilarious. Besides, as bored as Zelas had been until recently, she was in the mood to play a joke even on her own general priest. It wouldn't be harmful to his mission, it would actually be useful, and most importantly, it would be fun. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 047: Partners! Pick Your Team, The Race Begins

Filia slowly opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Her head hurt, her whole body was sore and she was very hungry. "Ugh, where am I?" She sat up slowly, wondering if everything had been a bad dream. The room she was at looked rather plain and simple, the room of a humble seaside inn at the Coastal States at the peninsula. Yet all that Filia knew was that she wasn't at the temple and that was all she would know for now.

"You're at an inn, miss. Are you quite alright?" A voice inquired from next to her.

Filia turned her head to see a man sitting on a chair next to her bed. After her negative experiences with humans, she was weary of them. Her memories flooded back into her mind and she realized the last thing she remembered was swimming endlessly after that monster sunk the ship she was on. The strong sent of the sea and a quick glance out the window confirmed that the inn where she was, was located close to the ocean. Logically, she concluded that she must have washed up on the shore and brought there. Yet one apparent act of kindness would not make her trust a stranger again. She backed away against the bed's headboard, clinging to the blanket as if it were a protective shield. "Get away!" She screeched at the stranger.

Xellos was doing mostly the opposite of what he usually did. Milgazia would probably be attentive to rumors of anyone with purple hair going through towns, or any peculiarly harmless looking strangers. Thus the general priest decided to blend in with the crowd of bounty hunters and mercenaries that were out and about following rumors about the Zanaffar, treating it like a massive treasure hunt. His black and violet clothes denoted him to be a sorcerer specializing in black magic if one was to follow the stereotypes. His hair was now long and black, though just as silky soft as ever. His eyes lacked the hue of purple he was so attached to and were instead a brilliant red. His outward appearance screamed, 'sorcerer not to be messed with,' which was how most of those who were searching for the Zanaffar made themselves look. 

"Calm down miss, I've done nothing to hurt you." He smiled, though he tried to keep his eyes open. This girl, a human as far as he knew, most likely had no idea who Xellos the monster was, thus he didn't have to put up much of an act for her, but he did anyway, just to get into the habit of not being his spontaneous, deceiving and tricky self. Well, he would still be deceiving and tricky, but in a different style. This girl's emotions were very intense and tasty, he was glad Beast Master sent him this snack. 

Filia reluctantly lowered the blanket, not that it could serve as a shield for any sort of attack anyway. "Did I wash up on shore? Did you bring me here?"

"Yes," Xellos replied with a deceiving truth. She was sort of washed up on the shore of Wolf Pack Island, or at least as close to it as the barrier allowed. Then Fang had delivered her to Xellos along with Zelas' message and Xellos took her to the inn. 

"Thank you..." Filia was still uneasy as she shakily got up from the bed. She was feeling distrustful of all humans. "I must be going now," her stomach growled loudly and she stumbled weakly.

"It doesn't look like you're well enough to go anywhere beyond the restaurant downstairs," Xellos observed.

Filia bit her lip, "I don't have any money," and trying to earn some only got her into bigger trouble than she was already in. 

"I'll pay," Xellos offered.

Filia gave him a distrusting glare. "No," she firmly voiced. "I've had enough of strangers trying to trick me!"

The girl was rather amusing, there was something very peculiar about her too, but Xellos couldn't quite place his finger on it. One thing caught his attention though; he didn't expect any damsel to address her savior in such a way. Did he look that much like a trickster? "I assure you, I'm not trying to trick you. You may go and order any meal you wish." After all, she had to eat in order to live and produce monster food for him with her stress.

Filia wasn't sure of what to do, but she knew one thing for sure, if she was going to get out of this, she might have to stoop to the human's level and be tricky. That was it, she was determined. She would eat to her heart's content and afterwards run off. That way, if this stranger intended to abandon her with the bill, she would give him a taste of his own medicine. "Alright, I guess I could use a meal."

xoxox xox xoxox

Some time later, at the restaurant in the inn's first floor, Xellos was surprised at how much this girl ate for a human, but he reasoned she must have gone days without food. "Would you like anything else?"

"No thanks," Filia replied, finishing her dessert. The cake wasn't as good as what dragons usually ate, but it was alright for it having originated in a modest human establishment. Xellos signaled for the waitress and paid the bill. Filia paused remembering her plans and realized they were not needed after all. She finished her cake while unknown to her, Xellos contemplated how to make her follow him willingly and be a part of his cover. "Um..." Filia spoke, waking him from his thoughts. Now that she was fed, she was in much better spirits than earlier. "I'm sorry I was rude before. I really am grateful for your help, sir." She was about to inquire his name, but decided that she should give him hers first. "My name is... Juliet." Cautiously, she gave him her fake identity.

Xellos had heard the name before in some silly human story, although it had a nice ending at least, from a monster's perspective anyway. As a joke he decided to tell her his name was, "Romeo Wolf, pleased to meet you miss Juliet." Wolf was his treasure hunter alias that he was going by while blending in with the crowds, Romeo was just a joke.

"Oh..." Filia remembered the name from the story, but didn't comment on it as she assumed that names such as Romeo and Juliet were very common among humans. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wolf."

A short silence passed between them until Xellos broke it. "May I ask where you're headed, miss Juliet?"

Filia touched the chocker around her neck and felt bad with her coming lies. She thought she had no choice though, she couldn't tell this human she was a dragon and as long as she had the choker on, she wouldn't be able to sense he wasn't a human. "This is a good luck charm, but I am quite tired of wearing it. Unfortunately, it is cursed and I cannot remove it. I suppose I should find someone who can take it off and then head home." She reasoned that she must be far from the town where she met Venus, but she didn't really know where she was.

Xellos saw his opportunity and made an offer. "I don't know of anyone who could remove that," he lied. "But maybe you'll find someone if you travel around. I'm on a journey myself. I'm looking for a valuable magical armor called the Zanaffar."

"The Zanaffar?" Filia gasped.

"You've heard of it?" Xellos wasn't really surprised, as the rumors were all over the place.

"That's a dangerous thing," Filia frowned. She had to investigate this; it was her duty even if she was on vacation. Maybe this way she could make up for her past mistakes. She would take away the Zanaffar armor from the inexperienced hands of the humans and get rid of that troublesome choker in the process. But she couldn't do much without her strength and magic. She would need help for this. 

"Oh, don't worry, I'm a skilled sorcerer, I can take care of myself and you if you need an escort," Xellos assured.

That was it, Filia had to go with him and get the situation under control. She couldn't fight at the moment, so she would have to rely on him. "Mr. Wolf..." He was only human, so she didn't imagine him to be too strong, but it would have to be enough. "Please allow me to travel with you."

'That was easy,' Xellos mused. The girl tasted stressed and worried, she would be a good snack indeed. "As you wish, miss Juliet."

"Thank you," Filia smiled and a part of her thought that maybe there really were good humans out there, though another part of her was still reluctant to trust him.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Milgazia was walking across the marketplace of Seyruun. Xellos was in disguise, but Milgazia could still sense him, so he made sure to keep his distance. The dragon elder was following a human woman with a sword strapped to her waist and a confident stride in her step. "You still insist on following me, Milgazia?"

"I am only here to oversee your journey, I will not be a bother, I assure you, Lady Gabriev." Milgazia repeated his previous explanation.

The woman chuckled, "you're so formal, I told you to call me Flagoon." She stopped to examine the goods in a booth, while Milgazia hovered about feeling quite out of place.

"I do not wish to be disrespectful, Lady Gabriev," the stubborn yet serene golden dragon replied.

Flagoon Gabriev shook her head. "More like you don't want to be friendly, Mr. Dragon."

"Lady Gabriev, please!" Milgazia urged her to be silent about his true nature, cautiously looking at the multitude on the streets. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. 

"Lighten up!" Flagoon purchased a couple of apples, tossing one towards Milgazia and taking a bite of the other. "Call me Flagoon and I'll call you Milgazia, if not, then you're Mr. Dragon."

Milgazia sighed as he looked at the fruit he had caught. "Very well, if you insist." He wasn't sure why the human was so insistent on such details. "Where are you headed next, miss Flagoon?"

"Just around town, Dragon," Flagoon replied.

Milgazia was annoyed by her stubbornness but decided to humor her at the cost of proper speech. "Are you planning to stay in Seyruun tonight, Flagoon?"

"Possibly," Flagoon smiled; at last she was making progress with him. "If a certain stubborn man by the name of Milgazia would join me for dinner, that would be nice. These appetizers are far from filling me up." She threw the apple's core in a trash bin on the side of the street. "Speaking of which, finish your apple Milgazia, we must be done with the appetizers before we get started on the main course." Milgazia looked at the apple and back at Flagoon. He didn't eat while walking. She let out an exasperated sigh as if catching what he meant. "Keep acting so royal and you'll raise suspicion in no time."

"My apologies, it was not my intention to belittle your race in any way." Milgazia wasn't sure if he had offended her or not. If he did, it was accidental, but that's what he concluded he did, given the tone of disapproval in her voice, mixed with annoyance. 

"Of course not, you've allowed me to fend for myself alright, standing around while I do everything," Flagoon chuckled.

"I apologize for that too, but I cannot interfere." Milgazia repeated, though he still kept his reasons to himself, Flagoon didn't question him. In truth, he wanted to show humans not to mess with things like the Zanaffar, while at the same time not allowing the lesson to become so severe it would result in tragedy. At the same time he noticed that the human race was going through a bit of a tough time. After the War of the Monster's Fall ended, they recovered and flourished in unity over time. Now the humans were doing well enough, but the unity among them was lost and battles between villages and even kingdoms became more frequent. Hopefully, if the humans were inspired by a hero of their own kind, they would recover that sense of unity again. That hero was the traveling swordsman, er swordswoman, of light. Milgazia was just there as an observer who would interfere only if absolutely necessary. This would be Flagoon's time in the spotlight and besides, he didn't want to attract too much attention from the monsters by making a direct move. He was technically going out of his way to do what he thought was convenient for the humans, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

"It's fine, it's fine," Flagoon waved off the apology. She had received too many of those from Milgazia even if she was very light hearted and never showed him signs of true anger. "You can be my, um..." She paused in deep thought. "What do you call it? I mean, every hero in stories has one to protect, but what would it be called in this situation?"

Milgazia tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Gentleman? No, that goes with lady," Flagoon mused aloud then finally explained. "I was going to say you can be my damsel in distress, but instead of a damsel, a man, whatever you call a male damsel. A lad? No, that goes with lass. What's the male word for damsel anyway?"

Milgazia sighed. "I don't think-"

"Squire!" Flagoon interrupted. "Since I can't think of a damsel word to call you that doesn't sound girly, I'll call you my squire in distress."

Milgazia sighed for the millionth time that day, "very well." He wasn't a squire and certainly not a damsel, but he was definitely getting to be in distress.

"Ah, here we are, this restaurant looks good, follow me, my noble squire." Flagoon entered the establishment, followed by Milgazia. Finding a table and ordering food was a simple process that went by uneventfully. As they ate, Flagoon started up a conversation, throwing out a question seemingly out of the blue. "Is it because I'll live less than you?"

"Pardon?" Milgazia looked up from his meal in confusion.

"Is that why you're so distant? Because you'll miss me when I'm gone if we're friends?" Flagoon inquired, adding her musings as she continued. "You said you didn't look down on humans and you've proven you're not one of those stupid guys who just gets in the way when I'm trying to cut down some villains. You know how to sit back and watch like a gentleman, allowing the lady to lead the first beat down and I commend you for that."

Milgazia let out an unsure "...thanks?" He doubted that the rules of human chivalry dictated that when in the presence of bandits a gentleman should step back and allow the lady to beat them up first, not stepping in until she was satisfied. He doubted ladies and gentlemen were expected to beat up bandits anyway.

"Milgazia, you're a good man, I can tell." Flagoon paused to gulp down her drink, setting her mug down in an unladylike manner. She was what humans called a tomboy. "But you're so secluded in yourself. You always have your duties on your mind, don't you? Always taking care of the whole world and not allowing anyone to take care of you. I know that you're here to take care of me too, without getting in my way, and I appreciate the sentiment, but sometimes you should let someone take care of you too. I'm sure you're a good protector, but let someone wash your back now and then too."

"You mean watch my back?" Milgazia offered.

"Yeah, that too. I was just remembering my childhood when the kids would jump into a pond together and wash each other's backs because they were friends," Flagoon smiled fondly.

Milgazia raised an eyebrow at her reply, but decided not to inquire about it any further. He had no intentions of allowing her to wash his back though. He was perfectly capable of cleaning himself thank-you-very-much.

Flagoon took a big bite of roasted chicken and leaned back on her chair as she swallowed it. "It must have been hard and I'm no one to speak. After the War of the Monster's Fall, after the tragedies, because you're alive and a leader you feel that you must protect everyone. That's fine, but don't seclude yourself. Open your heart for someone who wants to stand by your side and protect you too. Dare to trust, dare to fall in love."

Milgazia's eyes widened and if not for his ever present diplomacy, his jaw would have been hanging open. "How... how do you know about the war and my position of leadership?"

"I've read a lot of history books looking for information about my sword, but it's been a fruitless search," Flagoon explained. "At least I learned a lot of other stuff; stuff about the war and other things. I figure anyone of," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "your race." Then she continued speaking at a normal volume again, "who lives inside the barrier must have been in it somehow. As for your leadership, I didn't know, I just guessed you were a leader because of how you act. It's like you've gotten used to calling the shots and following another seems a bit odd. But because you're able to follow another, I know you're a good leader. You listen to those who follow you and take them into consideration."

"That's kind of you to say..." Milgazia voiced quietly. Compliment or not, this woman was much more perceptive than she first appeared. She was well traveled, within the territories that the barrier allowed her to explore at least, and well informed, even if her behavior was a bit odd. She was very observant and knew how to draw conclusions from the smallest behavioral patterns, such as when guessing he was in a position that involved leading others. 

"Like I said," Flagoon emphasized with a smile. "You're a good man, but you keep everything bottled up. Just you wait, Milgazia. Even if it takes over a hundred years, which might not be so long for you after all, one day you'll run into a woman who's just as stubborn as you, if not more. Then she's going to persist until you let all your emotions out and since you've been keeping them bottled up for so long, it'll all be one big explosion!"

Milgazia couldn't help it but to smile a little at her dramatics. "I doubt that," he voiced honestly.

"Oh trust me, she's out there," Flagoon chuckled.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 048: Abduction! Sneaky Thieves and Tomboy Maidens

After dinner was done, Milgazia and Flagoon went around the Seyruun kingdom, passing the time at her leisure. After the sun went down, Flagoon stopped in front of an inn. "Shall we get a room?"

It was the easiest question Milgazia had received so far since he started traveling with Flagoon. "Yes." He answered simply.

They went into the inn and Flagoon only said, "give us a room." With a carefree friendly smile.

Milgazia remained oblivious to the assumptions of the inn keeper for a moment until the elderly lady spoke. "A suite for a couple?"

Milgazia choked on air, "no, two rooms please." He spoke as soon as he regained his voice. Diplomacy, diplomacy, he had to remember diplomacy and not make any shocked faces. He would have to do this with a mindset as if facing a monster, trying not to feed it, if he was going to keep his expression on check. But wouldn't that be disrespectful? None the less he clearly had to try harder.

"If you want to pay extra," Flagoon rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with two friends sharing, I thought the slumber party would, if anything, help you open up a bit. You're still kind of avoiding me and I want to be your friend."

Milgazia closed his eyes for a moment before replying. Flagoon seemed to be semi-unaware of gender differences sometimes. "It's just not proper."

"Race?" Flagoon inquired with a frown. She didn't think the fact that she was human and he was a dragon should be such a wall between them.

"Gender," Milgazia didn't really expect her to fully understand.

"I can wield a sword just fine," Flagoon pouted, while the inn keeper watched the exchange with perplexity.

"That's not the point," Milgazia sighed.

"You remind me of the kids from the village I grew up in, always fussing about cooties." Flagoon recalled with a small laugh and the slight wrinkling of the nose. "Have it your way mister, but I thought falling asleep exchanging tales of adventure would be fun. We'd be like real comrades then. I'll get you to come out of your shell yet." Flagoon's words, though will intended, left Milgazia with a heavy feeling of foreboding.

xoxox xox xoxox

At an inn at the Coastal States, different from the one they had been at before, Xellos and Filia were spending the night. Xellos could still taste her uneasiness seeping through the thin wall that separated their neighboring rooms. It was delicious, yet it also made him curious about her full story. She had a charm to remove, which he had no intentions of helping her with, though he was pretty sure he could take it off if he really tried. She also mentioned having a home to return to, even if she didn't say where it was. By the way she glanced around as they walked down the streets earlier, he gathered that she was lost. The name of the 'Coastal States' meant little to her, as she had only giving him a look of confusion when she asked where they were and he gave her that information. She was obviously not from that area. 

Another mystery was how Zelas found her. Xellos didn't ask for the details, but he assumed that another monster, possibly Fang had fetched her at Zelas' command, since Beast Master herself could not leave Wolf Pack Island for the reason of the barrier. She might have been a random girl. Well, not entirely random, if he gave it some further thought. She did conclude that she was rescued from the sea. Maybe she was among the crew of one of those crazy voyages to try to get past the barrier. The ship must have been destroyed by Deep Sea Dolphin and maybe the remains were thrown near Wolf Pack Island, where Zelas could have found the girl herself, then sent her over. 

Yet the girl, sweet and innocent as she appeared to be, had shown no signs of mourning lost family or friends. Why else would she be on that ship if not because her parents, or siblings, or family, or friends, were on the ship? She wasn't a sailor, or at least she didn't appear to be one. She seemed to be a stay at home damsel that spent her time walking through her garden and putting flowers in her hair. A delicate pretty girl to be betrothed to a rich family and... And now the theory was turning into a novel. Yet it could be the answer. A pretty, innocent girl had little reasons to be lost and alone, if not because she ran away and that could explain the taste of guilty betrayal and quiet resignation to deal with the situation that radiated off her. She regretted running away and wanted to return to her family and earned their approval again. 

Perhaps that choker, which she claimed was a good luck charm and Xellos didn't bother to check if it was, served as proof of her willingness to run away, hence why she wanted it so badly gone. It was silly indeed that humans thought that by powering up their feeble existence with amulets they could actually break through the barrier. Maybe that was her story, Xellos quietly mused on it. Moving his thoughts to a more imperative topic, he thought about Flagoon and Milgazia. 

She was leading the way in her unpredictable traveling pattern, full of unnecessary twists and turns, random stops and senseless back tracking that was nothing like the systematic Milgazia. Though he changed his patterns of travel as needed, he at least stayed clear on the goal, which would hint at said goal and once Xellos knew it, his movements would be easier to predict, though the dragon elder didn't stray from his clan's home at Dragon's Peak at the Kataart Mountains often anyway. Flagoon was a wanderer and an unpredictable, peculiar one at that. This mission was becoming most interesting indeed.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was a new day and Xellos moved into the southern region of Ralteague. Filia was still following him with little ideas on what to do beyond a very general plan. He needed to get some news on Milgazia and Flagoon to know he was close enough not to miss anything too important, but not too close so he wouldn't be noticed. A group of men suddenly approached Xellos and Filia as they entered the town. "Stop right there, you fiend!"

Filia looked around in confusion; unsure about who they were talking about. Then she noticed they were glaring at Xellos. He wondered if they had somehow seen through his disguise and knew he was a monster. Yet the men in front of them were humans. How did they figure it out? Maybe if he put up a big enough act he could change their minds, then again, they looked pretty convinced and tasted quite angry.

Filia mused that these humans must be weary of the one she knew as Romeo Wolf simply because he was a stranger. With how tricky some humans could be, if they were anything like Venus, she supposed that they had to be careful with who they trusted. "Please stop, Mr. Wolf is a good person!"

The group looked at each other unsure, but Xellos could taste that the seed of doubt was already growing in their minds. For him it was the benefit of the doubt. "Young lady, the leader of the group looked at Filia, are you sure he's not kidnapping you?"

Filia blinked in confusion, "no?" That was certainly an unexpected question.

"You're not sure?" The leader of the villagers asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean I'm not being kidnapped!" Filia tried to clarify. "I am traveling with Mr. Wolf of my own free will," she assured.

"Oh..." The defensive men looked at each other unconvinced. "Mr. Wolf, was it? Would you mind telling us what your relation is to the lady?"

They didn't look alike, so Xellos couldn't say they were relatives. He was curious about why the mob felt complied to question him like that, but first things first; he had to get rid of their suspicions. "I'm her protector." That wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't entirely false either. She was traveling with him and if he was going to keep up appearances he'd had to keep her safe from any dangers they encountered on the road. Besides, it sounded like a more solid story than simply saying they were random traveling companions, with the villagers' initial reactions to them.

The leader of the mob seemed to mull over the answer he received and finally he decided that it sounded true enough. "I see... In that case, I apologize for our accusations. A lot of young girls have been getting kidnapped recently and we're suspicious of all strangers. I don't mean to judge a book by its cover again so soon, but you appear to be a sorcerer."

"I am," Xellos confirmed, curious about what the villagers mentioned about kidnapped girls. It didn't sound like it was a single incident, but rather something that had been happening for a while. "What's that you mentioned about girls being kidnapped?"

"It's been terrible," the villager revealed. "For the past two weeks the young women of our town have been getting kidnapped. At first we thought it was some crazy cult, you know they seem to have a thing for young maidens, such as the lady traveling with you. But then adult women, some of them married, began to disappear too. Not only adolescents, but women in their twenties have gone missing as well. We haven't seen any weirdos in town so the cult theory checked out, but we don't know who could be behind the incidents. Since you are a sorcerer, would you consider taking a job guarding the town? Even if we've been guarding it ourselves, the women keep disappearing as if they've vanished into thin air."

"That does sound terribly worrisome." Yet it was none of Xellos' business really, though he was curious about why this was happening. He quickly came up with a theory, there was no way that people could simply disappear, but they could be taken away via the astral side if a monster was involved. He wondered if it was just a trouble maker looking for food or a monster who actually had a plan that involved kidnapping those women.

"He'll take the job," Filia suddenly declared.

"I will?" Xellos questioned, curious at the usually quiet Juliet's outburst.

"Yes," Filia nodded.

"Thank you very much miss! I do apologize that we busied your bodyguard in the middle of his escort job, but maybe a well traveled sorcerer will be able to solve this dreadful mystery once and for all!" The leader of the villagers exclaimed. "We'll provide you with food and accommodations for the duration of your stay here of course."

xoxox xox xoxox

A short while later, Xellos and Filia were at an inn waiting for nightfall when the abductions usually occurred. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Mr. Wolf," Filia apologized. "I shouldn't have agreed to take on this job in your name like that, without consulting you first."

"I was curious about that, miss Juliet," Xellos inquired. "Why did you take such an interest in this case? You do realize that you are putting yourself in danger by remaining in an area from which young women are said to mysteriously disappear."

"I know, I guess I wasn't thinking about that." She still wasn't used to being a fragile human who was unable to use magic. "Even so, we can't abandon these people." 

The taste of her conviction and desire to help others was strong, and Xellos didn't like it. This wasn't how his snack was supposed to be. "I will investigate the strange occurrences in this town. I don't mind making a short stop, but what about your family? The more stops you make, the more worried they'll be in your absence."

Filia frowned, she had to get rid of that choker and go home eventually. She also had to figure out in which direction home was, but that wasn't her biggest worry. She reasoned that the sea must have carried her far away, but things might look different from the air. Once she was able to transform again, she could fly around until she figured out where she was and where she needed to go. She only hoped that she managed to do that before her little vacation ran out and the dragons at the fire temple started wondering why she had not returned to her duties. It would be a terrible disgrace, she thought, if anyone from the temple found out about what was really keeping her away. "I'm on a vacation of sorts," Filia finally replied. "Although it will run out and I hope to get home before then."

The stress that reminding Filia of her family produced was nutritious to Xellos. He took it in pleasantly and smiled. Filia thought he was only trying to cheer her up and smiled back, though she was still worried about the situation, thus her taste remained pleasant to him. At least Xellos would know what to do to shift her taste in a way that was favorable to him. She was guilty and frustrated, it was delicious.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Flagoon and Milgazia had made it out of the Seyruun borders and into central Ralteague. They were in a different town as Xellos and Filia, though both towns were under the jurisdiction of the same Kingdom. There seemed to be a lot of activity in the border town that morning as a carnival of travelers passed by amusing the citizens with their elaborate costumes, juggling acts, singing, dancing and magic tricks. "It looks like we came by just on time for the fun!" Flagoon cheered. "This is perfect, it's just what you need to loosen up and cheer up!"

"I am not particularly stressed, nor am I sad," Milgazia tried to point out to no avail.

"You're indifferent and that is sad enough," Flagoon insisted. She suddenly spotted a magic show, going on further down the street and dragged him over there.

"Flagoon, you don't need to pull me by the hand." Milgazia tried to keep up with her while avoiding bumping into anyone on the street, which was turning out to be quite difficult since the area was so crowded. 

Suddenly, Flagoon released Milgazia's hand and turned abruptly, shouting at the top of her lungs, "come back here!" She darted in the opposite direction, pushing people aside in her frenzy.

"Flagoon!" Milgazia called out to her, but she wouldn't respond. He saw her turn into an alley and out of sight, thus he tried to hurry after her, but getting through the crowds without rudely shoving people aside was nearly impossible.

xoxox xox xoxox

Night fell in Ralteague and at the south of the kingdom; it was time for Xellos to get to work. Filia would play a key role in their plans to lure out the culprit of the abductions as bait. She hummed to herself pretending to be distracted as she walked down the empty streets of the town at night. All the women were in their homes, hoping that they weren't the next to disappear while their worried and frustrated male relatives guarded them with great anxiety, as if the blink of an eye was enough time for them to vanish. 

As Filia made her way down the street, her heart pounded with anticipation. She was putting herself at risk and in her current state; she would be defenseless against the abductor, whom she suspected might be a monster. She had mentioned her concerns to the one she knew as Romeo and he had assured her that he knew how to deal with monsters. She knew that he was watching her, but she was still becoming increasingly impatient.

A figure made her way down the street in the darkness and Filia froze. Was that the kidnapper? She stood still as the person stopped and she could see that it was a woman, not likely the kidnapper. "Excuse me, miss," the woman stopped to ask. "Have you seen a cat beastchild run through here? I've been running after the slippery little guy since this morning. The dirty little thief stole my sword," Flagoon grumbled.

"I haven't seen anyone like that," Filia truthfully replied. "Although, I should warn you, it's dangerous to be out at night. Women have been disappearing from this town."

"Is that so? Well maybe if I disappear, I'll end up in the same place that my sword disappeared to," Flagoon chuckled.

"This is serious!" Filia insisted.

"It's not a big deal, miss," Flagoon dismissed the danger. "Anyone who tries to kidnap me is looking for trouble. Sword or not I can still fight." She caught her fist in her hand in a challenging motion. "I would advise that you learn to fight too. A woman's got to carry a weapon to get some respect these days; otherwise the bandits are all over her, mistakenly thinking she's easy prey. By the way, are you okay to go home on your own with all the kidnappings you mentioned?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Filia lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm actually the bait, there's a skilled sorcerer keeping an eye on me so he can save me when I'm abducted and catch the culprit. I think it's a monster."

"That's pretty interesting," Flagoon whispered back. "If I wasn't in such a rush to recover my sword, I would join the hunt too. Well good luck."

"Thank you," Filia smiled pleasantly and went on her way as the woman continued on hers. The conversation was pretty casual despite the topics it held. 

After a few minutes had passed, Filia started to feel uneasy. She wanted to call out to Romeo just to make sure he was still watching her, but that would blow his cover, so she knew she couldn't do that. She hummed nervously, now trying to distract herself from the worries, rather than simply pretending to be distracted. Then suddenly, the air around her felt thin and a cold chill ran down her spine. She stopped walking as a dark cloud moved past the crescent moon in the sky, obscuring the street further into a deep darkness. Then suddenly, a pair of glowing green eyes appeared before Filia and she screamed in startled surprise. 

The cloud over the moon was moved by the breeze and its dim light shone on the street once more. Filia found herself staring at a strange creature. It had green eyes that glowed in the dark and it was covered in blue and green scales with webbed clawed feed and hands. This was no ordinary water dwelling creature; it had been clearly mutated by the possession of a monster. Filia let out another panicked scream, wishing she could cast a Chaotic Disintegrate spell on that thing, or at the very least blast it with her laser breath; but she couldn't. The creature's hideous amphibian face twisted into a sneer as it showed its pointy teeth. "Are you the maiden of light, little one? Are you the one who extinguished my troops?"

To be Continued


	17. Chapter 17

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 049: Implacable! Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Filia glared bravely at the monstrous sea creature before her. "Have you been the one kidnapping girls?"

"I seek vengeance and I will not stop until I find it!" The creature yelled.

"Your evil ends here!" Filia paused in a very Amelia-like pose, though she had not met the Seyruun princess yet, as the justice loving human princess did not yet exist in that era. Yet the pose didn't last long, as no one came to back her up. "Um... Mr. Wolf?"

"Calling for your boyfriend?" The monster, a subordinate of Deep Sea Dolphin, mocked.

Filia's face turned crimson, "unthinkable!" He was a human, and a young adult, she was a dragon in her late adolescence, but still none the less not at an age when she should be looking at the opposite gender in such ways. Although, in the deepest corner of her mind, the thought seemed rather pleasant, or at least it would be very pleasant if it wasn't ever so forbidden.

"Your relative then?" The creature laughed. "It doesn't matter who you're calling, it's obvious he's not here." The monster stepped forward, it's eyes glowing brighter, more sinisterly.

"My..." Filia paused as if the detail was of importance, which anyone else may think it wasn't, given the nature of her situation. She was indeed aware of the danger, but her emotions could be quite distracting at times.

"It doesn't matter what he might have been to you, he abandoned you and now you'll die like the others!" The creature was ready to take her to the astral side and rip her apart.

Filia saw her life flash before her eyes. The fact that she had been in grave danger all that time sunk in like a rock. She had no means to fight this creature and she somehow knew she couldn't outrun it. Had Mr. Wolf truly abandoned her? "He was my protector, he was..." He was the one who rescued her from a death at the beach as far as she knew. Even if he didn't stick around, he did that much at least. She couldn't expect a human to be as noble as a dragon would be in the same situation, or as she imagined a proper dragon to be. "He was my..." Friend, she was going to say, but then she suddenly caught sight of someone behind the monster, someone she had not seen before as her view was obstructed by the towering creature. "Romeo!" She exclaimed when she saw him.

The sea creature monster saw and tasted the hope and relief that was reflected on the girl's face. He turned around and caught sight of the sorcerer standing behind him. The creature was unfazed at first, but then Xellos stopped hiding his identity from him and the sea monster's eyes grew wide. "You're...!"

Before the creature could speak the general priest's true name, Xellos dragged it into the astral side, making it look as if the other monster was taking him into the astral side. "Romeo!" Filia yelled, in her worry she had forgotten her usually formal way to refer to him as Mr. Wolf. She had even doubted him although in truth he stood there behind the enemy watching over her and, she assumed, ready to protect her at any time. She was never in any danger, he was a noble and kind human sorcerer, he didn't abandon her. Yet there she was fearing and making it clear that she didn't believe in him. Time passed and Filia remained alone in the dark streets. "Where are you Romeo?" The monster didn't come back, but neither did Romeo. Did they kill each other? Probably... "Romeo..." He sacrificed himself to defeat the monster and now he was gone thinking that she didn't believe in him. "Romeo..." He was proof that there were good humans out there and now he was gone, unappreciated. If only he came back, she would tell him how grateful she was.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, at the astral side, Xellos was having a talk with the creature. There were actually two monsters there, the one who had threatened the girl he knew as Juliet and another very similar monster with dark green scales and glowing red eyes. Neither of them were high ranked and Xellos could take them out easily. A well powered Chaotic Disintegrate from Filia, if she had access to her power, would have been enough too. "So what's your story?" Xellos asked conversationally. Since they were on the astral plane where humans couldn't see them, Xellos projected himself in his usual preferred human form with purple hair and squinty eyes.

"My name is Blissrock," the monster that had threatened Filia revealed obediently. He didn't know why Xellos had a different appearance before, but he didn't think it was wise to question him in any way, even if it was out of simple curiosity.

Xellos rose an eyebrow at the ironic name of the blue-green monster. "And you?" He glanced at the green one.

"Joyrock," the green monster with red eyes replied simply.

"Creative," Xellos chuckled. "Why have you decided to kidnap girls?"

"A woman wielding a sword that shone with a deadly light eradicated most of my minions. I'm seeking revenge." Blissrock explained with a hint of pride and a fragile courage that was obviously fake.

"So you're kidnapping girls to get back at the warrior," Xellos voiced. "Is the warrior aware of that?"

Blissrock shifted nervously. "Well... I was away at the time and my subordinate here seems to be having trouble identifying her."

"Then you ran away and now you're saving your pathetic ego by pretending to hunt for the female warrior who wields a sword of light by a process of elimination, though it should be obvious who she is," Xellos concluded.

Blissrock gulped, becoming visibly nervous as Xellos' violet eyes opened to glare at him in disapproval of his cowardice. "I... was away and my minion here said we should hunt humans, so I thought... I thought..."

"If you were hunting humans for fun I wouldn't mind, but doing so out of falsehood is another story. Monsters should be prouder than that," Xellos closed his eyes again in his usual cheery expression. "I doubt Lord Deep Sea would miss you." He moved with amazing speed to appear above Blissrock in a blur of dark colors that became a black swirl. The cone shaped tornado crashed down on Blissrock destroying him and ruining him instantly with more force than needed.

Joyrock backed away trembling. He knew it would be useless to try to escape from Xellos if he had decided to destroy them. He watched as the black cone stopped spinning and once again assumed Xellos' usual form who stared at him curiously.

Xellos tilted his head, his unreadable expression still cheery. "Although you're supposed to be his minion, he was taking suggestions from you. Care to explain?"

Joyrock let the words spill out of his mouth, even if they might be his last. He wouldn't dare say such things when Blissrock was alive, but now his superior was destroyed and his own destruction waited with certainty in the near future as far as he knew. "Blissrock was indeed full of false pride. But the truth is that I knew the two of us were not a match for the warrior of light. There we were, tormenting innocent villagers and minding our own business when that nosy woman came and slew most of our group. The other survivors decided not to seek vengeance, but I wanted vengeance as did Blissrock, though in his case, it was only about false pride as you noted."

"You make it sound as if you're different," Xellos pointed out, opening one eye momentarily. "Do you claim to be?"

Joyrock pause before cautiously replying. "I'll let you be the judge of that, General Xellos. My plan was to feed from the distress of the humans. Young girls have especially strong emotions; they are the ones capable of feeding us the best out of all the humans in my opinion."

"I agree," Xellos nodded. "Young girls do tend to be the most savory. Go on."

"If I fed on enough negative energy, I would eventually become strong enough to take on the warrior of light. That was my aim," Joyrock explained.

"It is a logical plan," Xellos observed. "You were using Blissrock to keep yourself safer, manipulation him as if he was your minion instead of the other way around. You seek vengeance but not stupidly. However, weak as you are now, it will take a very long time for you to gain the needed power to take her out. Why not begin by attacking her family? That sounds like a good way to attack her without actually fighting her directly before you're ready and it might help weaken her emotionally and make her lose her focus."

"That is a grand idea, General Xellos." Joyrock respectfully acknowledged. He was starting to think that he may survive this encounter after all and didn't want to mess up his chances. "Although, I do not know the identity of those close to her, I will definitely investigate."

"Don't bother, she's a loner, she hasn't seen her relatives for years since she became a nomadic warrior and probably wouldn't remember them," Xellos chuckled.

"Oh..." Joyrock realized that Xellos was only toying with him and again he feared that he would be destroyed. Was there anything at all that he could do to make Xellos spare him? Not begging, not with what Xellos said about monsters and pride, begging for his life would only doom him faster. Realizing that Xellos was silently looking at him through cheerful squinting eyes waiting for him to speak, Joyrock cautiously voiced. "Well, in that case I'll just keep on gathering power until I'm strong enough to beat her. I'll keep causing trouble, but I won't focus on a single area so as to not attract unwanted attention before I'm ready. Then when I have the power, I'll strike."

"It might be too late for that," Xellos eyes opened again, in a fierce violet glare.

Joyrock backed away automatically. Was Xellos going to destroy him now? "Why is that?" He pushed his voice to work with great effort.

"You are so weak that by the time you become strong enough to defeat her, many years would have passed." Xellos closed his eyes again and chuckled at Joyrock's nervous torment. "The warrior of light is only human. She will not live for many years. By the time you're strong enough to even begin to put up a fight, I'm sure she would have retired by then and there wouldn't be much of an accomplishment in her death. In fact, she might have already passed away of old age."

"Oh..." Joyrock paused again, unsure of what to say and again he noticed Xellos waiting for him to speak. "Then I'll kill her descendants. Humans skilled in swordsmanship and humans who have some kind of special magical device often train their child into continuing their legacy. She fits both categories, so I would say it's likely."

"Yes, very likely," Xellos agreed. "Well then, in sounds like you're all set for the next few decades. I'm sure you're anxious to be on your way, so goodbye." Xellos faded back into the physical world leaving an awestruck Joyrock in the astral side.

Joyrock wasn't about to further question his good luck. It was obvious that Xellos didn't want him in the area, so he left without a second to spare. He would continue with his plans as he said, attacking humans here and there. Maybe he would even find a hidden elf village and attack them too. Then eventually he would have the power to take on the warrior of light, or at least the warrior of light of that time.

xoxox xox xoxox

When Xellos reappeared in the physical world, he was back in his disguise, his eyes red and his hair long and black. He made a show of looking tired and beaten. Albeit the scrapes, bruises and injuries were all false, they looked very real in Filia's eyes. "Romeo!" She threw her arms around him sobbing. "I thought you were killed by that monster!"

Guilt, worry, stress and relief all flooded into Xellos at the same time. The relief was unpleasant, but it was significantly diminished by worries that his apparent injuries caused. "I was dragged into the astral side, but I was thrown back here after I managed to slay the monster." Xellos spoke with feigned difficulty between heavy breaths. "Are you alright?" Before the girl could reply, he collapsed, or rather pretended to collapse from his injuries.

Filia gasped, "Romeo!" She struggled to carry him to safety, but there was only so much she could do with her strength being limited to that of a young human girl. Although Xellos was astral, his projection was very detailed and weighed as much as a human man. Silently, Xellos was enjoying the taste of her panic and inwardly laughing at her efforts to half carry and half drag him to where he could receive medical attention.

"Nya!" A cat beastboy rushed down the street with frightened tears in his eyes, running in a panic as if Shabranigdu were chasing him. He almost bumped into Filia, but managed to dodge her at the last second and dash past next to her.

"Yeah, you better run, you little rascal!" Flagoon ran after him, waving her sword of light around. "Don't let me catch you stealing again!" She had no intentions of killing the little brat, but she wanted to give him a good scare to teach him not to steal. She huffed and put away her sword, then took a moment to notice the scene on the street. "Wow, your friend's pretty beat up."

Filia snapped out of her surprise and curious daze after seeing the peculiar sword that the woman wielded. "Please, could you help me carry him back to the inn? He's hurt badly and needs a healer!"

"No problem, I'll give you a hand with him." With ease, Flagoon lifted Xellos into her arms bridal style. "Just show me the way to where you're staying."

Filia really missed being a dragon; she could carry Romeo just as easily if she was. She had to admit, this woman was very strong for a human. "Oh thank you, this way!" She hurried back to the inn.

Xellos was aware of just who was carrying him, but he didn't want to blow his cover. His mind was working on overdrive, wondering if Flagoon's presence meant that Milgazia was near by. But if that were so, then the dragon elder should have already sensed him and done something. Perhaps Milgazia and Flagoon had gone their separate ways? Why?

xoxox xox xoxox

At the inn, Xellos had to admit that it was very annoying having the town's doctor power healing spells into him. The magic was extremely bothersome and it certainly didn't heal him as he had no real injuries to begin with. Still, he changed his projection slowly to appear to be healing, though perhaps a little faster than a normal human would heal because he wanted to get it over with. "You're quite responsive to white magic," the doctor observed. "Very good, this is all I can do for you, Mr. Wolf, now you must rest."

With his eyes half closed as he lay on the bed feigning exhaustion, Xellos gave a weak smile. "I thank you."

The doctor nodded, "I thank you for ridding us of that monster."

After the doctor left, Filia looked at Flagoon who had waited with her as she watched the doctor heal Xellos. "Thank you for helping me bring him here. Romeo might have bled to death if not for your assistance." She shuddered at the thought. 

"Oh yes, thank you very much, you've saved my life." Xellos smiled in such a way that no one noticed his words were sarcastic.

"It's no trouble at all," Flagoon returned the gesture.

"By the way, I still don't know your name, I'm..." Filia almost spoke her real name in a moment of distraction, but quickly corrected herself, "Juliet."

"My name's Flagoon, the traveling swordswoman," she introduced herself. Though she was better known as the warrior of light, she wasn't one to brag about her reputation, besides, true fame wouldn't reach her until after the Zanaffar incident. Albeit even then she wouldn't be too recognizable, as the warrior of light with become a legendary figure with many faces and stories. "Now I really wish I had gotten my sword back sooner, then I could have helped out with the monster." 

"Romeo was dragged into the astral side, so that would have been hard," Filia mused aloud.

"That's very interesting," Flagoon observed. For a moment Xellos thought that Flagoon was becoming suspicious of him. For a human to be dragged into the astral side just like that, especially a sorcerer who turned out to be strong enough to defeat his captor was unusual enough. But for a human to be dragged into the astral side and come out of it alive was even stranger. "There's something I've noticed."

'This is it, my cover is lost,' Xellos thought. He didn't think he would be so easily discovered. Though maybe Flagoon didn't know he was Xellos, the general priest of Lord Beast Master, perhaps she had figured out he was a monster and she was about to voice her suspicions. 

"You..." Flagoon looked right at Xellos who was by then convinced that she had become aware of his true nature. "Have the same names as the main characters of the play Romeo and Juliet!" She smiled in amusement. "Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

For a moment, Xellos' jaw dropped involuntarily. He quickly regained his composure and laughed. "Yes it is."

"Well, it was nice meeting you two. Have a fast recovery, Romeo. I must be going now; I ditched my friend when a thief ran off with my sword. I could think of nothing more but to recover it. Well, I'm sure he's fine. I should go find him though. I wouldn't want him to think I dislike him or something," 'just because he's a dragon,' she added in thought. Flagoon headed for the door of the room. "Good luck, see ya."

"Have a safe journey!" After Flagoon was gone Filia went back to sit next to Xellos' bed. "You should get some sleep now," she smiled gently. "I'll stay here in case you need anything."

"You don't need to stay up watching me," 'especially not with such annoyingly loving care,' Xellos mentally added. "Go get some sleep, I'm sure my discomfort will subside soon," 'when you are your protective attachment are gone.'

"Discomfort? Pain?" Filia frowned. "You're still in pain? But I thought your injuries were healed and you only needed to rest."

"My dear Juliet, it is not that simple," and it wasn't, because he was a monster.

Filia jumped to her own conclusions and though Xellos didn't directly lie, he let her think whatever she wanted. "That terrible monster did something to you before he died, didn't it?" She frowned and furrowed her brow in anger and frustration. "Maybe a curse of sorts to cause you pain when your injuries are gone. Oh Romeo, I'm so sorry, I was the one who volunteered you for this." 

Juliet was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions, Xellos observed, but at least she was back to feeling guilty and worried now. She was delicious and with such thoughts in mind he pretended to sleep.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 050: Decisive! The Moment of Truth

Flagoon chuckled, while Milgazia seemed displeased. Or at least she assumed he was displeased. Though his expression wasn't particularly expressive, her guess was correct. "Aw, c'mon, I didn't run off for that long, and besides, if I stayed to explain, I wouldn't have been able to catch that thief."

"Yes, that would be troublesome," he stopped questioning how she could be so oblivious one second and so perceptive the next. That was simply the way she was, this was relaxed yet capable Flagoon. "Please do not lower your guard," Milgazia advised. "Though I should be saying that to myself too, I shouldn't have lost you in the crowd."

"No big deal," Flagoon smiled. "We're together again and on the road! Speaking of which, I'm surprised you picked our next destination. Usually, you just follow me."

"The critical point is near..." Milgazia quietly voiced as they made their way down a dirt path towards a town called Sairaag. 

"Oh... interesting..." Flagoon didn't know what exactly that meant, but it sounded exciting. 

Suddenly, from the bushes ahead there jumped out a band of thieves comprised of wolf and fox beastmen. "What do we have here, two lonely humans. How interesting... Alright you two, hand over all your valuables!"

Flagoon stepped forward and drew her sword, though she kept a metal blade attached to the handle, so it looked like an ordinary sword. "I think not," she grinned, this would be easy. "Here I go!" She dashed right into the midst of the group of bandits.

A cloud of dust took to the air as the clank of metal against metal echoed. One of the fox beastmen crawled out of the dust cloud and looked at Milgazia. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

"I must not, the human heroine must conquer these trials on her own, it is for the best." The dragon elder replied calmly.

The red-brown fox tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "I get you, you're a spoiled aristocrat and this lady's your bodyguard. Yeah, it all makes sense now, the fancy white robes, the golden hair and all. But there's something about your face that's not quite princely." The bandit mused.

Milgazia raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my face?"

"Must be the eyebrows, not princely at all," the fox beastman muttered. "Anyway, no matter, if you're a rich brat then we're kidnapping you." He glanced at his comrades, who were having trouble keeping up with the swordswoman. "We'll do that right after we get rid of your bodyguard." He took a small sack out of his cape. "I bet a sheltered boy like you has never seen this."

"A sheltered boy?" Milgazia questioned. He didn't think he looked like a child. Furthermore, he didn't think he was sheltered, he had experienced the War of the Monster's Fall firsthand after all. Though he might seem a bit out of touch with the outside world, as he kind of was, in terms of human culture.

"This here black dust is special, if I light it on fire it makes a big explosion, like magic," the fox laughed. He lit the end of a string tied to the sack and the flame moved ever closer to it. "It's over!" He threw the sack.

In the off chance that the black dust was actually special and did indeed cause an explosion, Milgazia shot a small laser towards it, cutting the string and causing the flame to fall and extinguish on the ground while the sack fell harmlessly next to it. 

The fox's jaw hung open. "How did you do that? You shot magic out of your mouth, you're no ordinary sorcerer!"

"Hey Milgazia, are you watching!" Flagoon carelessly waved at him while the bandits pulled themselves back to their feet and charged at her again. 

"Flagoon, watch out!" Milgazia rushed to her aid, "Fireball!" He noticed that she was grinning at him and not at all alarmed. "You did that on purpose!"

"I know you're only traveling with me on a diplomatic business trip of sorts, and that I'm the one who must fight. But if we fight as comrades, even if these guys are no challenge to either of us alone, then maybe we'll become better friends." Flagoon smiled while slicing to pieces the handle of a spear a gray wolf beastman tried to attack her with.

"If you insist..." Milgazia started to cast another spell.

"At it, Milgy, you go!" Flagoon cheered.

"Milgy?" The dragon almost lost his concentration on the spell.

"Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" A very annoying and loud, yet still somehow masculine laugh pierced the sound waves. Everyone was drawn to pause their fight and stare at the source of the sound as he repeated the annoying noise. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" The man was rather well built, not overly muscular but pleasantly toned. He had deep violet near-black hair and blue-green eyes. What made his anatomy so easy to perceive was his peculiar attire. He wore a black cape with spikes on the shoulders and matching boots and gloves of black leather. Those elements were rather ordinary among sorcerers, but it wasn't what he was wearing that caught the group's attention as much as what he wasn't wearing. Aside for the aforementioned items, he wore black leather speedos and nothing more. 

"Flagoon," Milgazia whispered discreetly. "I know I must be respectful of other cultures and I'm not exactly an expert in human customs. Yet somehow I don't think this man's attire is exactly... normal."

Flagoon shook her head. "Nope, I can't say that's how people usually dress around here."

"Who's this weirdo?" A tall wolf beastman with black fur, the leader of the gang asked with distaste.

"Weirdo?" The scantily dressed young man looked offended. "I am the greatest sorcerer that ever lived!" He exclaimed fiercely. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Fear not, innocent travelers, I will not allow your sweet elopement to be ruined by these foul bandits! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"Elopement?" Milgazia questioned.

"Come forth my golem!" The man casted a type of summoning spell and a golem began to emerge from the ground, formed by the rocks in the surrounding terrain. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Show those bandits not to mess with love! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Unfortunately, the golem was out of control. The thirty feet tall stone creature began stomping around aimlessly, attacking the bandits, the travelers he was supposed to save and even his master. 

There was a flash of light in the distance in the direction of Sairaag, could the time have come? "We don't have time for this. Flagoon, it's time for you to become a legend, there is a beast you must slay and this time I will fight by your side, we must hurry!"

"Alright! A real challenge!" Flagoon cheered.

With no time to waste, Milgazia left the strangely clad sorcerer and the bandits to deal with the rampaging golem. He transformed into his dragon form and allowed Flagoon to jump on his back, then took off towards Sairaag. Once in the air, he noticed that he had an extra passenger on his tail. "You shouldn't have followed me." The golden dragon warned the fox beastman. 

"I just wanted to get away from the golem, but maybe a dragon would be worse. I was only kidding about kidnapping you, really! Please, oh please, don't eat me!" The fox beastman held on to Milgazia's tail tightly to avoid falling and also in hopes that if the dragon tried to eat him, he would bite his own tail and spit him out. 

"I'm not going to eat you," Milgazia assured. "But I am in a big hurry, so I can't land to let you get off right now."

"Oh that's okay merciful dragon! I'm happy as long as you don't eat me, or otherwise end my life," the fox exclaimed.

"Speaking of big," Flagoon voiced, "you sure are big, Milgazia."

"Big dragon..." Jullios muttered in fright.

"I take it this is your first time riding on a dragon?" Milgazia replied with an almost conversational tone that didn't really fit his rush as he flapped his wings to go faster. 

"Big claws..." Jullios shuddered. 

"Yes, and this is a ton of fun!" Flagoon was enjoying the ride even if they were heading for a hard battle, though she was looking forward to that too. "You're really talented though, to become human like that. I thought you'd have a tail or something hidden in your robes. I mean, I had never seen you with as much as short sleeves before. But no, not a single golden scale anywhere on your skin, before the transformation at least."

"Big teeth..." Suddenly, Milgazia dropped several feet in the air and Jullios screamed.

Flagoon giggled at the drop as if she was in an amusement park ride, while the fox beastman yelled and clung to the golden dragon's tail for dear life. The dragon elder regained his bearings and flapped his wings, his face taking on a slight shade of red, which he was trying to suppress. He really needed to get around to researching a light screen spell to cover up while transforming without having to take the time to find a private spot to do it. "Let's not speak of my human form..." he nearly begged.

"But it's so believable!" Flagoon commended. "It's so-" 

"Please," Milgazia insisted.

"Oh, I get it, you're just being humble," Flagoon concluded. "I'm not an expert on the subject of male anatomy, since I'm female and all, but-"

"Flagoon!" Milgazia half growled. Of all the times she could pick to start acknowledging the existence of physical differences between the genders, why did it have to be now?

"Okay, I guess I can drop the subject for now. It looks like we're almost to Sairaag anyway and there's definitely something going on there. Hey you back there, we'll be landing soon! What's your name anyway?"

The frightened beastman trembled as he clung to Milgazia's tail. "Jullios Jillious Jollios..." he voiced his full name between scared shallow breaths.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, further back, Xellos and Filia were rushing through that same road. "Romeo, wait up, why are we in such a hurry and what's that light in the distance?" Filia called out to her protector, who seemed just about ready to leave her behind.

"The reason why I am in a hurry is because of that light and that light is very likely a Zanaffar beast," Xellos revealed.

"Zanaffar!" Filia exclaimed in shock. She bumped into Xellos' back when he stopped suddenly to observe the spectacle before them.

"What the...?" There was simply no expression in any language he knew that could accurately describe what he saw. There was a rock golem about thirty feet tall, stomping around aimlessly like a toddler with a tantrum. Atop the golem's head there was a man with a very peculiar attire, or rather lack of attire, making similar tantrum stomping motions in an effort to stop the creature's rampage. He wondered if Lord Beast Master would even believe him if he told her what he saw.

Filia stumbled back and walked around Xellos to see what had made him stop so suddenly. "Eek!" She jumped back and dove under Xellos cape.

"Do you have a golem phobia or something?" Xellos inquired. Strangely, her emotions didn't really taste scared as much as outraged and embarrassed. 

"Such indecency!" Filia cried out while she covered her face with his cape.

"You mean the guy in the leather speedos? It is a rather poor choice of apparel," Xellos agreed. But really, this wasn't the time to be dwelling on such things. Actually, no time should ever be used to dwell on such bizarre things. Thus without another moment to waste he disappeared, teleporting to Sairaag.

xoxox xox xoxox

Xellos reappeared in Sairaag. The town was still whole and there were no casualties yet, just as Milgazia planned it. Of course, Xellos intended to interfere with those plans. Filia peeked out from under Xellos' cape and found herself in a whole new location. "This is a town... How did we get here?"

Xellos smiled wickedly, while Filia gave him a confused look. "We went through the astral side," he explained, though she evidently didn't understand the implications of that. He tilted his head to her eye level and grinned mischievously, his red eyes looking into her innocent blue. "I'll let you in on a secret, Juliet, I'm a monster."

Filia's expression showed strong disbelief. "Don't say that, Romeo, you're a human, you're a good human. You're not a monster!"

"I am," Xellos stepped back, surrounded by dark energy.

Filia didn't have the ability to sense his energy because of the amulet that was still stuck around her neck, but she could no longer question what she saw. "No... no! You're not Romeo. That monster that Romeo fought, you're that monster, aren't you? You hid inside Romeo's body consuming his energy, that's why he came back from the astral side like that. Oh Romeo, if only I had known the true nature of the terrible curse upon you," Filia lamented.

"Denial," Xellos mocked. "Your distress is indeed very delicious, girl. Since you've fed me so well, I'll let you live." He walked away towards the other side of town where the big fight was taking place.

"Romeo... Romeo..." Filia cried. He was gone, the monster had consumed him.

Jullios, the same fox beastman that had arrived with Milgazia and Flagoon, was in a hurry to leave the dangerous town. He stopped as he saw the crying girl that looked like a human. "Hey miss, you better get out of here." She wasn't getting up; she only kept crying for a 'Romeo' her lost lover perhaps? A casualty of the battle? He had thought there were no casualties yet, as the fight was taking place in the outskirts of town.

"My Romeo is dead!" Filia cried loudly.

"Aw, c'mon miss, I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't want you to cry for him to the point where you're risking your life." Jullios exclaimed. 

"He wasn't my boyfriend!" Filia cried, her face red. She sniffled and sobbed quietly admitting, "but I liked him." There could have never been anything between them, she reasoned, but for him to meet such a terrible fate was too cruel. "Monsters are the worse! Monsters are horrible, terrible, cruel creatures! They're rotten, they're disgusting! Monsters are the worse kind of raw garbage!"

Just as Filia yelled, a loud growl echoed from the outskirts of town. "Yes, yes I agree with you, but right now we have to get to safety!" Jullios insisted. "This may sound unbelievable, but the female sword fighter that just arrived in town, is actually the famed warrior of light! It's true, I saw her unsheathe her sword's real power. Plus that guy that was traveling with her is in fact a golden dragon!"

"A golden dragon!" Filia jumped to her feet. She couldn't let one of her own kind see her like this, she simply couldn't. "I have to get out of here!" She started running away, in the general direction of the coast in the far western edge of the peninsula. 

"Now you're talking sense!" Jullios followed Filia, assuming that she actually knew where she was going.

xoxox xox xoxox

Flagoon stood at the ready with the sword of light in her hands. Milgazia stood beside her ready to cast another spell as the Zanaffar stared them down. "We can do this; the final strike will be yours." Milgazia stopped all of a sudden his eyes wide. "No! Why did he have to come now? Reveal yourself Xellos, I know you're here!"

Xellos faded out of the astral side and back into the physical plane. Since he was done hiding, he took on his usual form with the purple hair and the cheerful expression. "Why Milgazia, you don't seem very happy to see me. Is this how you greet an old war buddy?"

"What do you want, dragon slayer?" Milgazia growled angrily, while Flagoon kept the Zanaffar at bay, not wanting to interrupt the tense exchange between the two men... or man and dragon... or dragon and monster.

"For starters, you can stop calling me that, I was never too fond of that nickname," Xellos replied. "You knew I would interfere if you tried to obtain the Zanaffar armor before it reached its critical point, so you decided to distract me and destroy it when it became the beast. It's too bad I wasn't late enough for your plans to work. I won't allow you or the warrior of light to finish off the Zanaffar." As for my second request, you can... Die!" Xellos' dark energy waves stretched to wrap around Milgazia's dragon body. The monster became black energy that spun in the shape of a cone as he charged to collide with the entrapped golden dragon. 

Despite being stronger in dragon form, Milgazia knew that his larger form would make it more difficult to dodge hits. He could move more easily in the air, but he had no intentions of leaving the battle grounds in case Flagoon needed backup against the Zanaffar. Plus Xellos' energy was wrapped around him and he needed to break free of the net of monster power. Thus Milgazia changed back into his human form. Xellos zoomed past his smaller body and rammed right into the Zanaffar beast, injuring it. 

Xellos regained his usual human form, glaring at Milgazia. "You..." That dragon tricked him! Now he had injured the Zanaffar beast that was supposed to be left to rampage.

"Flagoon, take advantage of the injury Xellos has so usefully inflicted on our foe!" Milgazia knew that his words would provoke Xellos to anger and that was exactly what he wanted. At the risk and perhaps the cost of his own life, he wanted Xellos to focus on him, so that Flagoon would be free to defeat the Zanaffar while the monster was kept occupied.

"I will not," Flagoon replied, shocking all those present. "In fact," her eyes met the glowing red eyes of the silver beast. "This is a one on one duel between the Zanaffar and myself. Milgazia, I will assist you with the monster if need be, but the Zanaffar is mine!" There was a strange connection between the opponents, as an unusual pride rose in Flagoon's chest. 

"So you want to fight that thing alone?" Xellos watched with curious interest for a moment, then he grinned in amusement. "Alright, it's a deal, Milgazia and I will stand back and watch." He nodded at the human then looked at the dragon elder. "I won't do anything if you don't. Though I could certainly defeat the silver beast, a mere human even with a special sword, should not be able to single handedly do so. We'll watch the embodiment of the hope of human kind fail, and then after she dies at the hand of the Zanaffar, you will die at mine."

Milgazia glared at Xellos, but before the dragon could speak, Flagoon agreed to the terms. "Fine by me, this way I can focus on the Zanaffar, it would be disrespectful to my first worthy opponent in a long time to divide my attention during our decisive fight. Stand back and make a truce you too." Flagoon decided, smiling confidently. "Milgazia, after I beat the Zanaffar, we'll beat that monster together!"

Milgazia couldn't explain why, but somehow, he found that he could believe Flagoon's words. "Let's do it!"

Xellos huffed, "some confidence." Their emotions tasted so strongly of security. Flagoon's emotions were very strong and now even the well guarded Milgazia was letting his hope and expectations shine. He never showed his emotions so freely at their encounters during the War of the Monster's Fall. He never relied on anyone with such confidence. What was it about Flagoon that made even Milgazia so strongly believe in her?

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 051: Victory! Against All Odds

The Zanaffar growled loudly at Flagoon, who fearlessly stood her ground, holding the flaring sword of light high. The silver beast made the first move and stretched its neck forward, bearing its long sharp fangs at the warrior. The fierce creature tried to swallow her whole, moving with amazing speed like a silver blur. Its massive jaws closed around nothing but air, as Flagoon jumped back and regained the same position as before, only several feet back. The Zanaffar repeated the action, additionally swiping at Flagoon with its claws. She landed gracefully on her feet, studying her opponent as it continued on the offensive. Then suddenly, just as the human thought she had dodged the attack, the Zanaffar's claws stretched with such speed that rather than avoid the attack again, Flagoon could only block the hit with the sword of light. The impact of the clashing forces was so strong that sparks of blue electricity flew. The Zanaffar's red eyes glowed brighter in anger. 

"I get it," Flagoon chuckled. "You're getting impatient. Alright, let's get serious!" Flagoon went on the attack, but the Zanaffar didn't relent. It attacked with its fangs and claws, with Flagoon defending and attacking simultaneously, putting extra pressure on the hits when the sword of light collided with the silver beast. The blue electricity sizzled while Milgazia and Xellos watched the fight progress. The Zanaffar spun, trying to hit Flagoon with its massive tail. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop the beast's force, so she dodged the hit instead. Taking it as an opportunity, the silver beast tried the same move another time, again and again. The Zanaffar kept repeating the motion so quickly that it turned into a giant silver tornado. 

Milgazia made an attempt to move towards them, but Xellos stopped him. "If you interfere, I will interfere as well and my first move will be to kill you. Don't overestimate your luck simply because you survived the War of the Monster's Fall."

Milgazia glared, then pushed himself to appear indifferent. He would not feed this monster. He couldn't allow Xellos to interfere with the fight. Allowing that would be worse than not helping, thus rendering the attempt as counterproductive. It was frustrating, but it was true. They couldn't deal with the Zanaffar and Xellos at the same time, with the monster general priest being the worse of the two. "Then neither of us will interfere..."

"A wise choice," Xellos grinned. "I'm sure you know that dealing with a rampaging Zanaffar alone is better than dealing with me with help, as I'm sure many dragons would agree, if they still lived that is."

"I can assure you, Xellos, you will not walk away from this unscratched," Milgazia ascertained.

"I suppose I can give you that much credit," Xellos opened his eyes momentarily, "if you had some dragon troops with you and that is assuming Flagoon defeats the Zanaffar."

"She will," even with the sword of light, Milgazia knew that it would be a hard challenge, but he wasn't going to doubt her.

The Zanaffar was spinning so fast that the silver tornado was out of control. The beast was focused on staying strong and spinning continuously, not paying attention to where it was going. The fight had moved away from its original location in the outskirts of Sairaag and into the town. The wild silver tornado was rapidly destroying the entire town. "You've gone too far!" Flagoon boldly rushed forward. "Sword of light, I need your full power, help me defeat this monster. My companion, my trusted ally, lets win this together!" The sword of light reacted to Flagoon's voice, encasing her in light as she jumped into the center of the wild silver tornado.

"Flagoon!" Milgazia called out to her, but she didn't stop. 'That light from the sword, that energy. It's almost as if the sword was conscious,' he thought.

Xellos was staring at the battle too. "That sword... Can it really protect her? What is the origin of that sword? It couldn't have been made by humans, but it's not a dragon weapon either."

"It's not," Milgazia revealed, though truthfully he didn't care if Xellos believed him or not, or at least he wasn't concerned with that detail at the moment. "It sounds like you don't know where it came from either. The sword of light is a great mystery even to us dragons."

"But you know something," Xellos added.

"So do you," Milgazia voiced, not taking his eyes off the silver tornado. He could sense the life of Flagoon and the terrible pulsations a of energy within, so he knew she was still alive, but even if he interfered at the risk of pushing Xellos to join in as well, he wasn't sure if he could get her out of there. It was almost as if the ferocious Zanaffar had swallowed her alive.

"I've heard about the rumors of the sword originating from another time or another world, or both." It wasn't a very specific piece of information and Milgazia probably already theorized the same. Yet with no method to confirm it, Xellos didn't think there was any use in avoiding the subject. Milgazia didn't reply; his attention was fixated on the silver tornado and the warrior struggling within it. Xellos didn't speak any further about the subject of the sword and instead focused on witnessing the power of the legendary weapon of light in action.

Inside the silver tornado, survival was a difficult feat to accomplish. The pulsations of energy were all around Flagoon and if not for the protection of the sword of light, she was sure she would have been disintegrated. "We have to finish this quickly, my friend." She spoke to the sword with respect and loyalty; it was more than just a weapon to her. Though sadly the special bond between the Gabriev family and Gorun Nova would eventually be lost with the weapon of light being treated more and more as a sword by each generation instead of as a friend and companion. The connection between Gorun Nova and Flagoon was something that no other Gabriev who inherited the sword of light ever came close to achieving, not even Rowdy or Gourry reached such a level.

Flagoon took a deep breath and focused. There was a raging storm of destruction all around her, but the sword of light, that heard her words, but could never even tell her as much as its name, could not attack the Zanaffar and defend Flagoon at the same time, not in that environment at least. "I can withstand it, please focus on the offensive!" She felt the sword of light pulsating in her hands as if to protest. "Don't worry about me, my friend," Flagoon insisted. "I'll survive this, don't worry, Milgazia is a strong healer, or at least I think he is, a dragon should know holy magic beyond the knowledge of humans I would guess." The sword pulsated again. "I know, I know you don't usually show your power with too many people around and I won't push you to do it, but I know that Milgazia can be trusted. I won't stop being your friend just because I'm traveling with another friend. We should focus on this now, let's go!"

The sword of light flared. The barrier of light that surrounded Flagoon faded as the energy of Gorun Nova focused on the blade. The silver wind all around was as sharp as knives cutting Flagoon, but not able to strike her down completely. She guided the sword to bat away the stronger currents and slice through them, chopping away pieces of the Zanaffar. The silver beast was losing strength and even if Flagoon was injured she kept fighting. The Zanaffar's face appeared inside the slowing silver tornado in one last desperate effort to finish her before she could finish it. "It's over!" Flagoon went all out, the sword of light colliding with the head of the beast. The Zanaffar's red eyes glowed blindingly bright and the sword of light more so.

Finally, the silver tornado faded completely, leaving the heavy feeling of miasma in the air. The blade of Gorun Nova faded out, leaving only the handle grasped limply in Flagoon's hand, yet she never let it go. Her broken form covered in blood, fell on the ground breathing raggedly but alive. Milgazia rushed to her side, immediately casting his strongest healing spell, "Resurrection!" The golden dragon released a great amount of energy, maintaining the flow of healing energy going until Flagoon's bleeding stopped and her breaths settled to a steady rhythm. She was cured physically, but her energy was completely drained and she couldn't even stand up. Milgazia helped her sit up. "You did it!" He smiled; his expression was more open than anything she had ever seen upon his face before.

"We did it; I couldn't have done it without the sword of light." Flagoon smiled back, satisfied and victorious.

"How surprising," Xellos spoke. "It looks like the battle against the Zanaffar ended faster than expected. Lord Beast Master will not be pleased by this. Though her mood might improve if I bring her a rare ingredient for her cuisine, after all there are only so many dragon elders within the barrier." The monster general priest opened his eyes, focused on Milgazia.

"My mission concerning the Zanaffar was a greater success than I imagined, all thanks to Flagoon and the sword of light, but there are still things I want to do, I have no intentions of falling here," Milgazia challenged.

"Strange..." Xellos quietly voiced with curiosity. "That look in your eyes is like hers. That determination to survive against all odds... It will serve no purpose!"

"Xellos!" Flagoon interrupted the exchange just as Xellos was about to attack. The monster paused with mild curiosity to look at the human who struggled to get on her feet. "Milgazia and I had already decided before that we would fight you together, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Xellos regained his cheery squinty eyes expression. "Although, you don't seem to be in any conditions to fight."

"I'm going to strike you down with the help of Milgazia and the sword of light." Flagoon warned with a level of certainty that seemed unreasonable to Xellos. "The three of us will defeat you here today. I warn you, monster," the swordswoman trembled as she struggled to stay on her feet, she could barely lift the bladeless hilt of the sword of light. "The blow that decides the outcome of our battle shall be mine, so don't you dare turn your back on me!"

"I dare," Xellos chuckled.

Milgazia looked confident, "this is your day to shine, Flagoon. I will help in this battle, but I won't steal your glory."

Xellos saw Flagoon as representing no danger now. The sword of light was a very powerful and mysterious item, but it was still a weapon as far as Xellos knew and a weapon could not act on its own. A weapon needed a wielder that knew how to use it and it was clear that the sword of light had many secrets even for the warrior of light herself, plus she was in no condition to fight right now. Even if Milgazia healed her wounds at the cost of a good amount of his own energy, she was too exhausted to even stand properly, let alone attack. "Milgazia, you are a fool to put your trust in a human. They are weak and unreliable, even with their small moments of glory; such times are as inconsequential and fast fading as their very lives."

"You are wrong, Xellos," Milgazia assure with a serene confidence that was starting to unnerve the monster. "I was a fool for thinking that I had to guide a human to victory, but no more. Humans have an exceptional potential that not dragons nor monsters could ever have. They may live short lives, but in that time they accomplish much and their influence lives on through the years. Maybe most of them will indeed be inconsequential, but that is also true for monsters and even dragons. Yet in all the races, especially in the human race, there are individuals that shine more brightly than a million people. Flagoon is one such person. The words she speaks will become the truth; if you lower your guard you will regret it, so unless you want to be made into a fool, you better heed her warning." The dragon elder paused, his eyes glowing golden. "One day, there shall be a human who shines so brightly, that the attention of both the dragons and the monster races will be focused on that person, on whose shoulders will rest the fate of the worlds." He blinked and the glow was gone.

Xellos opened one eye and tilted his head in curiosity. Was that some kind of prophetic moment? He heard that sometimes it happened to dragons, but it was supposed to be rare. It's not like Milgazia was in deep meditation just now and he didn't seem to notice the strange presence that floated around him for a second there. Xellos closed his eye and decided not to overanalyze the occurrence for the time being, though he couldn't help it but to make a mental note of it in the back of his mind. The presence that didn't quite feel like a dragon, nor a monster, nor anything else Xellos knew, was gone just as quickly as it came without Milgazia making any motion of realizing it was there. 'Did I imagine that?' Xellos mused quietly. Perhaps he did, it was the only explanation he could come up with for the time being. Enough distractions, he had things to do. "This ends now!" Dark energy surrounded Xellos as he changed to his true form. But instead of only one black cone, a multitude of them flew towards Milgazia.

The golden dragon had no reason to stay on the ground any longer. Even with his larger size in dragon form, it would be easier to fight in the air. He quickly transformed and took off, hurrying straight up with the spinning black cones in pursuit. Milgazia flapped his wings, creating a great gust of wind and shot a barrage of lasers at Xellos. Several of the cones were struck down by the golden lasers, though the larger main one remained. Xellos changed back to his human form, letting the smaller black cones fade. Dark light and purple lightning surrounded Xellos as he threw the energy straight at Milgazia. The golden dragon allowed himself to fall several feet to dodge it, but the energy turned around and moved after him. Milgazia headed closer to Xellos, who surrounded him in dark light and purple lightning.

"Foolish dragon, what kind of strategy is this? Do you intend to injure me with something as simple as a laser breath at point blank?" Instinctively, Xellos backed away to give himself more space to attack and his feet touched the ground. He had not realized they had gradually moved all the way down to the ground again. Yet it didn't matter, Milgazia was surrounded by dark light and purple lightning, dangerous monster energy of great power. His laser breath even at such a close range wouldn't be enough to finish Xellos. The monster general priest grinned victoriously, though it was a premature celebration. 

The dragon elder released his laser breath at the same time as he was entrapped by the dark energy, the darkness surrounding him and the purple lightning electrocuting him painfully. Without making a sound other than his breathing, Milgazia's wings dropped limply on his back from pain and exhaustion and he stumbled, falling to the side. 

"Hmp! You didn't even scream out in pain, what an anti-climatic end. I really don't understand why you didn't even try to cast a spell." Xellos' projected form had a hole where the laser breath hit him point blank, but it would only take a few seconds for him to draw more power from the astral side and close up the wound in his astral body and thus restore its representation in his projection. If he was outnumbered by golden dragons, this would have been troublesome, but Milgazia risked too much to strike what Xellos assumed was meant to be the final blow and didn't have the strength left to finish him off.

Milgazia only smiled, "you were warned..."

"What?" In a split second a very bad feeling overtook Xellos, which he was soon to find the cause of.

"It's over, monster!" Flagoon charged towards Xellos with the sword of light shining in a strange light. "Let's go, sword of light!" The blade flared brighter than ever before, revealing the dragon energy that it concealed in preparation for the final hit. 

The deadly blade of energy collided with Xellos, cutting into the astral side and into his true form. He shouted in shock and alarm as he felt the very core of his being fall to the massive power carried by the blade. This was the reason why Milgazia wasn't attacking him with spells before. He was casting a Chaotic Disintegrate spell, focusing on the dragon language chant in his mind and readying the spell to make it super powerful. Yet the target wasn't Xellos directly, Milgazia's target was the sword of light. It absorbed his energy and united it with its magical blade, applying the resulting power well beyond anything the spell or the sword alone could accomplish. 

'This... this cant' be...' Xellos' astral injury was deep, dangerous, deadly. At this rate, he wouldn't simply die, he would be ruined. His only choice was to retreat immediately. The sword of light could only reach into the astral side with its blade at short range and Milgazia's laser breath wasn't all that powerful with his exhausted energy supply, but if Xellos stayed, he knew they could finish him. He didn't want to think about what Beast Master would say, very much less about what she would do, but he had no other choice. With a strong desire to live that not even he could explain and the desperation of knowing this could be the end, Xellos retreated. 

Unfortunately for the monster, he didn't have the energy to teleport too far and Milgazia was pushing himself to get up. The rush of adrenaline made the dragon's senses more acute than they already were and he was able to sense Xellos' location even in their weakened state. Milgazia was moving with his human ally rushing over to climb on his back. He might be too tired and injured to fly, as Xellos was sure that one, if not both, of his wings were broken, but dragons were durable creatures and he could still walk. A golden light gathered in Milgazia's mouth as Xellos tried to gather himself and teleport again. Even a low power laser could slow him down in his state and he didn't have any time to spare in getting to safety, or he would soon be dead and ruined.

To be Continued


	18. Chapter 18

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 052: Prophecy! Calculated or Coincidental?

Another monster teleported beside Xellos in a human-like form that was rather familiar save for the black fox ears and tail the monster had. The monster's silver eyes focused on Xellos, who recognized the facial features of the projection, though his energy and expression were distinctly different. "Fang?" Xellos breathe unsure.

"Lord Beast Master made me into a monster fox chimera, I'm not purely astral anymore, so I have added defenses now," Fang smiled with a true cheer that wasn't just a monster's mask.

'His malice is gone,' Xellos quietly mused. It must have been a side effect of the chimera process.

"I've come to help you," without further ado, Fang teleported Xellos away, just in time to dodge the laser heading straight for him.

Xellos and Fang reappeared at Zelas' throne room at Wolf Pack Island where Lord Beast master glared at them from her throne. "Leave us, Fang."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Fang chirped cheerfully. Then he took a moment to pat Xellos on the shoulder comfortingly and disappeared. 

"He has become quite strange," Xellos commented as he tried to stand up straight and pretend that he wasn't badly hurt. 

"Indeed," Zelas agreed. "But that is not our current topic of conversation here. For you to have to be dragged back home by a monster of a lower rank than yours..."

"Ah, but lord Beast Master, only you and the other monster lords have a higher rank than me," Xellos truthfully pointed out.

"That is not the point. Explain to me why you're an inch away from death," Zelas demanded. "What kind of carelessness could have put you in this state? You were pitted against one golden dragon, a talented one from what I've heard, but only one. Is Milgazia truly this powerful?" If she wasn't confined to Wolf Pack Island for the sake of keeping the barrier up, Zelas might go pay a visit to Milgazia herself.

"It was the sword of light..." Xellos admitted, lowering his head. "Milgazia casted a Chaotic disintegrate on the sword and the blade somehow wielded the spell as if it was tempered by it. The effect was not permanent of course," fortunately for him. "But it was... significant. That human, Flagoon, the sword somehow responds to her as if the weapon was somehow attached to her, as if it wanted to protect her and she talks to it."

"I've heard that swordsmen often get attached to their weapon of choice and treat it as a comrade," Zelas commented. "Has the sword of light truly shown any signs of sentience?"

Xellos thought about the question for a moment before finally replying, "no." The weapon protected Flagoon, but that was most likely because it reacted to her energy, her instinct to survive. She was wielding it, she was fighting with it, it was only a weapon, at least as far as he knew. "If anything it is only an imaginary self-reassurance on her part."

"I see..." Zelas further mused on the happenings. "Can Flagoon cast spells?"

"I have not witnessed her doing so. My understanding is that she is a swordswoman only and not a sorceress," Xellos replied. If he could just keep answering questions like this, then maybe after a while Beast Master wouldn't be too angry.

"Yet paired with a capable magic user, she could be dangerous..." Zelas mused aloud.

"She defeated the Zanaffar without Milgazia's interference," Xellos revealed.

"Oh?" Zelas raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "That is interesting indeed. Yet still, for you to be so careless," she glared.

Xellos almost cringed, then something came to mind. "There is another thing I should mention. Milgazia said something peculiar. He said that one day, a human would shine so brightly, that the monsters and dragons will both focus on that person and that the fate of the world would rest on that human's shoulders." Xellos made a pause as he recalled Milgazia's prophetic words in more detail. "No, the word he said wasn't world, it was worlds. He didn't seem to notice it, but there was a strange presence around him for a second. I..." Xellos didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Beast Master would further inquire about it and it would be revealed anyway. "I couldn't sense what it was; it didn't feel like a dragon or a monster."

"What a peculiar prophecy, if that's even what it was," Zelas acknowledged. "I want you to see if Flagoon and Milgazia stay together or go their separate ways. If they part ways, report back to me, but if they decide to travel together for a time, you are to follow them quietly. Do not interfere with them, only observe them for now. By traveling with a human, the most open and easy to read of creatures, Milgazia may reveal information about the dragon race that could be useful to know. I am also curious about Flagoon and the sword of light. Humans are disorganized, short lived, vain and unfocused creatures, for the most part at least, yet Milgazia's words... There's something about his prophecy that catches my interest. I want to see if it'll come true and if it does, I will be the one to control that human."

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Filia had reached the coast. She looked at the vas ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. "I was rescued from the sea, so..." She paused in pain. Romeo, how she wished he could have been saved. Monsters were truly terrible creatures, she was disgusted by them, she hated them more than anything! She let out a hopeless breath. "If only I could take this amulet off my neck!"

"Um... miss..." Jullios spoke up.

"Oh, that's right, you're still following me," Filia acknowledged the fox beastman. "I should probably mention that I have no idea where I'm going."

"Oh..." Jullios sounded disappointed. "Well, it's alright, at least we're safe. By the way, about that necklace, it's a magical amulet, right?"

"Yes, it's a terrible thing!" Filia pulled at it fruitlessly.

"Here, try this," from his cape, Jullios retrieved a small bottle. "It's supposed to dispel magic, temporarily at least. Although I can't say if it'll render the amulet permanently useless."

"I wouldn't care if it did!" Filia accepted the bottle and sprinkled its clear liquid on the chocker. Finally the amulet came off. "Oh thank you so much!" She threw the choker far away into the sea. "You've really helped me out a lot, now I can finally go home! What's your name?"

"Jullios," the beastman voiced in surprise at how far the choker flew. "You've got quite an arm there, miss...?" 

This time, she decided to give out her true name. "Filia."

"Well, I'm glad I could help you out. I'm sure you're family's worried about you, so you should go on home. It must be nice, having a home to go to and all," Jullios sighed.

"Don't you have a home, Mr. Jullios?" Filia asked full of compassion.

"Not really. I wish I could go far away and start over, but I've been all over the peninsula and my reputation as a bandit precedes me in most towns. I guess I really can't start over," Jullios lamented.

"That's not true!" Filia encouraged. "None of the places I've seen in this area are familiar to me, so I must be far from my home. Why don't you come with me and make a new start in a new land? I'll even give you a ride across the sea!"

"What are you talking about, miss Filia?" Jullios shook his head. "Even if you have a ship, we wouldn't get far with the barrier."

"Barrier? What Barrier?" Filia asked in confusion.

"The monster barrier of course," it was common knowledge as far as Jullios knew. "You know, the barrier that's been there for centuries?"

Filia's eyes widened in shock and horror. "We're inside it? That can't be!"

"It's true, if you go out far enough into the sea, you'll see it," Jullios assured.

Filia felt like she was hyperventilating. She looked around and spotted a cluster of palm trees not too far away. "Please don't run away Mr. Jullios, I promise not to hurt you." She ran behind the palm trees, while the beastman stood there in confusion. There was a flash of light and soon a golden dragon towered over the trees. The dragon stepped forward as the fox backed away, even running into the swaying tide of the sea. "It's okay, Mr. Jullios, it's me, Filia."

"You're a dragon too? Wow, two dragons in one day," the fox trembled.

"I don't know who the other dragon was." If the dragon lived within the barrier than she couldn't have met him. Maybe they would meet if one day the barrier came down, but at the moment, Filia was focused on going home. If she was somehow thrown inside the barrier, than there had to be a way out. But what if only the monsters could control it? She didn't want to think about that, she could be trapped there for the rest of her life and her clan would think that she deserted them or that she was dead. First things first, she had to take a closer look at the barrier. "My intention is to return to the Fire Temple outside of the barrier. My offer still stands if you wish to form a new start."

Jullios gulped. Going with the dragon made him nervous, but she was nice and not at all intimidating when she looked like a human, unlike now with her big teeth and claws... Yet she looked smaller and far less imposing than that other dragon he saw, maybe because she was younger. He had nothing to lose, nothing to hold him back, thus Jullios decided to be brave. "I'll take you up on that offer." The fox climbed on Filia's back and the golden dragon took off. 

xoxox xox xoxox

Filia flew towards the west until she reached the barrier. Touching it was painful and Jullios almost fell off. She backed away and flew around looking for a way out. Eventually, she flew over Wolf Pack Island. 

Zelas saw the golden dragon from the surface of her island and thought about destroying her, but something interrupted her train of thought. Xellos was hurt, badly hurt, she could sense it, "Fang!"

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Fang appeared in his semi-human form.

The success or failure of the chimera experiment was still in question, but he could at least do this simple task. "Bring Xellos to me."

"Right away, Lord Beast Master, it's just like playing fetch!" With a cheerful laugh, Fang teleported away.

Zelas looked at the golden dragon that was shooting lasers at the barrier in the air. She carried a beastman on her back and seemed unaware that she was being watched by a monster lord. Beast Master didn't have time for this small recreation now. It was best if the dragon was just gone. Zelas opened the barrier a little. 

Filia thought that the opening was because of the lasers she had been shooting and hurried to leave the area, unaware of Zelas' presence. She did sense a terrible monster presence, but she assumed it was the energy that the barrier itself was giving off.

Thus Filia and Jullios journeyed away from the peninsula. They went their separate ways after landing in the outer continent, where Jullios would eventually establish his own village and become Jillas' ancestor. Unfortunately, that very village would be destroyed by prejudiced humans years later, burned to the ground, leaving Jillas homeless and starting the chain of events that would, unknown to them, reunite him with the very same golden dragon that transported his ancestor to the outer continent all those years ago.

xoxox xox xoxox

As per Zelas' orders, Xellos followed Milgazia and Flagoon through their adventures until they finally parted ways. Despite having feelings for her, Milgazia never acted upon them, as he thought a human and a dragon were too different. Eventually, Flagoon settled down with a human and she and Milgazia went their separate ways. Her line of descendants took her surname to continue the legacy of the Warrior of Light. That eventually led to the journey of Rowdy Gabriev, who obtained the priced family heirloom at a young age. Later, by the time Rowdy was full of years; Gourry Gabriev would go on his own journey to improve his skills with the sword of light. 

Years later, Xellos was still watching from the shadows unknown to Gourry. He witnessed his meeting with Lina Inverse, the sister of the current incarnation of the Knight of Ceifeed. Lina appeared to be an ordinary super powered little brat. Yet strong magic users were not unusual in Zephilia. She gained a reputation as a bandit killer and dragon spooker, but none of that was enough to capture Xellos' notice. The general priest was growing quite bored with his observations of the current wielder of the sword of light until his path crossed with that of Lina Inverse. Then things began to happen. Rezo, Shabranigdu and the journey that led them to the tree that no one remembered was named after a heroine of ages past... 

"Could Lina Inverse be the one?" When Xellos proposed such a possibility to his master, somewhere far away, a certain being of chaotic gold chuckled. 

If Milgazia had not gone with Flagoon, if Xellos had not followed the sword of light, if Lina Inverse had never become involved in the many adventures that surrounded her... 'Lina Inverse...' The golden lord smiled. Only creatures as random as humans could, if left to their own devices, create the embodiment of chaos as one of their own. 'The power between light and darkness... Go forth and change the world! And most importantly..." Her smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Amuse me."

xoxox xox xoxox

Thus it happened years ago, that the foundation of adventures that would eventually come was laid. Now, years later, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Xellos and Zelas, found themselves in a world not their own, preparing themselves to, against all odds, face their greatest challenge yet. Darkstar, who had absorbed the remnant power of the Stillness threatened to leave the worlds in absolute silence, in nonexistence. He used Luna's empty vessel to trick the golden dragons into lending their power to what they thought was Vorfeed's plan to rid their world of the monster lords. The whereabouts of Luna's soul were still unknown. 

Darkstar's plan was almost a success; he managed to summon the three remaining monster lords into the over-world, however, because of the interference of Canal and the crew of her ship, the Swordbreaker, Darkstar was prevented from absorbing the power of the monster lords. After a fierce battle, only Zelas Metallium was able to escape from Darkstar and his vessel Dugradigdu. The defensive program placed into Deep Sea Dolphin and Dynast Grausherra by Canal would not last forever. Before Darkstar could absorb their power completely, thus destroying them, Canal, Zelas and their crew had to find a way to defeat Darkstar, or the gap of power between them would become unreachable.

The over-world was quite different from the world that Lina and the others knew. In that world, magic did not exist and technology flourished greatly. The closest thing to magic was psyenergy, the manifestation of the energy from the mind that could be projected through special devices similar to how the weapons of light worked in their world. However, upon being returned to their own world, the weapons of light, the sword Gorun Nova, the bow Galveira, the lance Ragudo Mezegis, the trident Nezard and the axe Bodigar, regained their true forms as lost ships. The form of a lost ship, a sentient space vessel of unmatchable technology, was also the shape the monster lords took when they reached the over-world. There was no magic in that world and certain beings were not easy to interpret for the fabric of that plane. Thus they became something else; they became the thing that was most abundant there, technology. That was also how Filia and Zelgadis became cyborgs. 

After a violent encounter with Gorun Nova's revealed true form, Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Filia were able to join Xellos and Zelas, who arrived along with the Swordbreaker. Zelas would become their space transport in the vessel she called the Great Beast, while Xellos, a very special program, resided in the system of the same ship. Thus Lina's group met the crew of the Swordbreaker. Canal was a part of Vorfeed, Swordbreaker's main AI and the acting lord of light of that world, so to speak. Her crew was composed of Kain, a young man with a resemblance to Lina, who loved to collect capes, and Millie, a young woman who had her mind set on being the best in the universe in all the areas she could.

After obtaining some weapons suitable for that world, which they were yet to use for the first time, the crews of the Swordbreaker and the Great Beast went their separate ways, off into the depths of space. "This world is really big," Amelia commented as she looked out the window. There was nothing but an endless darkness with distant points of light as far as the eye could see, but she had learned that among those points of lights there were planets, whole worlds that were all a part of the over-world. 

"Do you think that maybe our world is this big too, but we just haven't been able to see it?" Lina asked, joining the Seyruun princess in looking out the window.

"That thought is pretty amazing," Amelia voiced. "I mean, up until a few years ago, we could only travel inside the barrier and after exploring the outer continents the world seemed so much bigger."

"For a while at least," Lina chuckled. "It feels like I've already been everywhere in our world, but the over-world is just waiting to be explored!"

"It sounds like you're really excited for this," Filia joined in.

"I am!" Lina cheered.

"I want to see what the over-world's restaurants are like," Gourry added.

"So do I!" Lina agreed, her voice echoing throughout the main control room of the Great Beast where they were as they traveled through space. 

"I just hope I can be human when this ends, though seeing the history of this world does sound interesting," Zelgadis commented.

"There must be so many different cultures here, I'm sure it's amazing!" Amelia breathed in anticipation. "The technology is so advanced, it's one new discovery after another."

"I'll say," Xellos chuckled as he took a tray of beverages out of an odd little machine that seemed to come out of one of the walls of the Great Beast. The machine sunk back into the wall when he was done. 

"I made those, just so you know," Zelas pointed out.

"Although I could have done a fine job myself if Lord Beast Master had given me control of the mechanism," no one believed Xellos' assertion. Regardless of the circumstances, they were sure he could only be a terrible cook.

"What are those?" Lina immediately took a glass. "This smells like coffee, but it's cold."

"It's a type of frozen coffee latte, something or other, with chocolate and caramel," Zelas explained. "I got the recipe from the astral, I mean digital, library, the Internet, and found that this useful new body of mine comes equipped with kitchen implements."

"You're a flying ship and a kitchen? That's awesome!" Gourry commended, taking a drink of his glass. "This is amazing!" The others tried the drinks as well, with favorable reactions.

Zelas grinned, "the Great Beast also has living quarters, get settled in and be ready for when we arrive at our destination. Let's not forget we're not tourists in this world. You are all my honorary minions with potential to join me permanently after this is over," though Zelas knew they wouldn't take the offer. "I'm going to make you work hard to defeat Darkstar, so make sure you absorb all that caffeine, you're going to need it."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 053: Jobs! Gotta Make A Living Somehow

"Jobs?!" Lina exclaimed, her voice echoing through the interior of the Great Beast. 

"Yes, jobs, that is to say work," Zelas explained. "Meaning, to perform tasks that bring a revenue."

"I know what a job is, but why do we need jobs?" Lina complained. She would expect to hunt for relics, of technology rather than magic given that they were in the over-world. She would expect to follow rumors and legends, to train and maybe hunt down some bandits over-world style for the sake of getting the hang of fighting with their new weapons, but the fiery redhead was not expecting Zelas to say she had to get a job.

"The answer to that is simple, we need money. Ship parts cost money and adding weapons and ammunition to this vessel is the fastest and most effective way to increase its power. Since I have a physical form now, I must consider not only my strength of energy, but also my physical defenses," Zelas explained, referring to the lost ship Great Beast. "I got the energy deal covered with your and Filia's bad tempers-"

At that point, both Filia and Lina let out an undignified chorus of, "hey!"

The protests were ignored as Zelas continued. "However, I must make sure that this vessel is strong. The final battle will take place in space, even if all of you have tasks to do, you won't be able to run around freely. Let's not forget what we discussed about the atmosphere of this world, this area called outer space doesn't have any air or gravity. You won't be able to survive without the life support within my vessel, which I must remind you I can turn off at any moment. So to summarize, if you want me to shield you and keep you alive, you better do your part to strengthen my vessel."

"When you put it that way, it does make sense," Amelia accepted.

"I would go around stealing what I need, but then we'll just waste the ammunition fighting off cops and draw unneeded attention that could alert the light weapon lost ships of our location and all of that, especially if it happens at the same time, will be very counterproductive," Zelas frowned. "Unfortunately, this means we must keep a low profile, thus earn money by..." She trailed into silence, searching for the right way to phrase it that didn't sound too repulsive to her. "By means that do not attract unwanted attention."

"In other words," Amelia elaborated with a smile. "We need honest jobs!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Zelas interjected. "You don't have to be honest, just be careful not to get caught."

"We won't need to worry about that if we work honestly!" Amelia insisted cheerfully. "Alright, let's go get some jobs!"

"You're forgetting something," Lina pointed out. She didn't want to ruin Amelia's cheer, but her point was a valid concern that needed to be expressed. "What kind of jobs can we do? When I take a job, it usually involves fighting with magic. We can try to do escorts, bandit hunting and such jobs with the psy-weapons we got from Canal, but will people hire us?"

"Oh yeah... we are kind of out of our element, aren't we?" Amelia admitted.

"From the perspective of the people of this world, we may seem like amateurs," Zelgadis mused. "Plus from what we've studied so far on the Internet, the police and transport systems in most of the planets in this world are pretty advanced and people don't usually have any need for bodyguards. Then those who do hire such services would likely be suspicious of us, since we're not exactly well known in any planets here, or known at all."

"I'm working on that," Zelas explained. "This world still needs individuals known as trouble contractors. That is actually Kain's profession along with the others at the Swordbreaker. They are bounty hunters of sorts, though the job of a trouble contractor isn't limited to hunting rogues, they do escorts, investigations, item recoveries and a variety of odd jobs that require skill precision and power. I think that would be the closest equivalent in this world to the usual jobs your little group would take. I will find a suitable job for us to perform that serves as a source of economical benefits and as training for the upcoming battle."

"A double benefit..." Zelgadis mused, though he wasn't sure that leaving picking the job to Zelas was the best idea. "Wait a minute; did you say us, as in including yourself?"

"I did," Zelas replied simply. "I have already instructed Xellos in what to look for and he is investigating the available jobs in various parts of this vast world."

"Speaking of which," Xellos voiced, "I found something, but it's a bit far. We might have to stop for supplies since we're carrying a crew with biological needs now."

"Is that a round about way to say we're short on food?" Lina demanded to know.

"Yes," Zelas replied full of nonchalance.

With annoyance and concern, Lina demanded, "then we must make a stop and re-supply!"

"It's mostly your and Gourry's fault we're running low on supplies. You ate most of the food we got from the Swordbreaker," Zelas reminded.

"But I'm the captain, I'm your power source, you have to feed me or I won't be able to feed you!" Lina reminded desperately.

Zelas merely rolled her eyes. "Yes, Lina, I'm aware of that, I'm not going to starve you. Xellos, have you found a suitable planet to stop for supplies?"

"There is one and it's not too far away. According to the information, this planet has many cities built on its surface and a suitable space port. We should be able to re-supply there and get some extra ammunition as well, but we'll have to come up with the money for it while we're there or grab what we need and rush out," Xellos explained.

"I say we do the honest thing and work," Amelia suggested.

"We'll be fine as long as we don't attract too much attention. That stop is far from our destination anyway," Zelas considered their options. "Xellos, are the communications working?"

"Everything is going as planned," Xellos mysteriously informed.

"What communications are those?" Filia inquired with suspicion.

"You'll see," Zelas grinned and a feeling of foreboding swept over the others, though it was not yet immediate. She pointed at a blue and green planet displayed on the map of the screen with swirls of white around its surface. "We'll stop there then. As for what we shall do about the costs, I'll leave that up to you. If you wish to lead an expedition to find jobs, you are all welcome to do so. Xellos, you might as well go with them, I will stay on the ship and oversee things here."

"I guess there's no other choice for now..." Lina agreed.

"Alright!" Amelia cheered, "we'll make an honest living, over-world style!"

As they approached the planet, Lina looked at Gourry. He had grown quieter with the passing of time and she was getting worried. There was obviously something bothering him and this was quite unusual for him. He wasn't one to dwell on things like that. "You've been pretty quiet lately, Gourry. Is something wrong?"

Gourry didn't dance around the issue, he didn't hide it at all and straight out spoke of what was bothering him. "I've been thinking about the sword of light. How it transformed into that... that thing and attacked us."

"Hush back there, we're contacting the space dock authorities to land," Zelas hissed.

Lina pouted but nodded then led Gourry away towards the living quarters of the Great Beast. "Let's talk over here." Gourry followed Lina into her room. The room was identical to all the others, as they haven't had time to personalize their respective rooms yet. Gray walls with violet details and dark colored simple basic furniture was all that was there to be found.

After taking a moment to try to organize his thoughts and emotions, Gourry continued. "The sword of light had been passed down in my family for a long time," he lowered his head in sadness. "I used to hear a lot of stories about it. I don't know if all the stories were true or if they changed every time they were passed down from parent to child, but I never thought that the sword would do this. After we fought Darkstar and the sword of light was returned to this world, I thought of it as being even more special. I let it go because I thought it would be more useful in this world. When I got it back I was confused but happy, I've always thought of the sword of light as a weapon for good and now... I feel like I've been betrayed." Gourry lifted his head to look into Lina's eyes. "It hurts, it hurts a lot and I feel like it's all my fault."

Lina expected to hear some of the things Gourry said, but the last revelation took her by surprise. "It's not your fault," she immediately denied it.

Gourry shook his head and raised his hand to indicate for her to pause. "It is," he insisted. "You saw what the sword of light, what Goro Nuve... Gora..."

"Gorun Nova," Lina supplied.

"Gorun Nova, you saw what it really is," Gourry continued. "It... He... He talked to us; he's not just a sword even if he took that form. He had thoughts and feelings and I didn't acknowledge them. What kind of swordsman am I if I never formed a bond with my best sword? That sword was my companion through so much and I never acknowledged him. It's no wonder Gorun Nova hates me, using him without a word of thanks. I'm terrible. It's not his fault he couldn't talk as a sword, but I should have felt it, I should have felt he was alive. I failed him miserably. I really am terrible as a swordsman and as a friend."

"Gourry, don't say that!" Lina exclaimed. "It broke her heart to see Gourry putting himself down like that. She still loved him, and if she was going to be honest with herself, she always would. "You didn't know, there was no way you could have known. Besides, Gorun Nova is..." she couldn't bring herself to say it. Lina bit her lip and fell silent.

"With Darkstar," Gourry finished for her. "But he didn't have to be. If I had been kinder to him, he could have joined us. He protected my family for so long and I let him down."

"Stop it, please," Lina almost begged. "I can't stand to hear it; I can't stand having you put yourself down like this. I don't know what will happen when we face Gorun Nova again," yet she knew they would have to sooner or later, "but I'll be there to help in any way I can. I can't say we'll fix things for sure; I can't lie and tell you that we'll get Gorun Nova on our side, but we'll try. That's all we can do right now, try our best. Everyone makes mistakes; we just have to keep trying our best to fix them."

"Thank you, Lina," Gourry smiled weakly. He was still very upset about Gorun Nova, but knowing that Lina was there for him filled him with strength and hope, even if she was only willing to be there as a friend as far as he knew.

xoxox xox xoxox

After clearing things with the space port authorities, with the use of some fake ID techniques Zelas learned from Canal; Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos went off to find jobs. The planet they were on was quite similar to their world in that it had the same gravity and almost the same atmospheric composition. The sky presented a nearly identical coloration, though they couldn't be sure about the vegetation as there wasn't a whole lot of it to see. The place was covered in streets of gray stone where pedestrians walked and roads of black stone where strange vehicles moved. 

The black stone roads were a maze of tunnels and interceptions that they heard someone call 'highways.' Vehicles of all kinds moved in them at considerable speeds not moved by horses or by wind. Strange metal carriages called 'cars' were the most abundant, with larger ones called 'trucks' driving by, transporting cargo. Smaller vehicles were also seen, those were called 'motorcycles' and Lina was fascinated by them. She wished she could have one of those, but knew she couldn't, given their current situation, although she could at least study them, she saw no harm in that. 

While Lina and Gourry entertained themselves asking a multitude of questions to an exceptionally patient young man who worked at a biker shop, Amelia and Zelgadis went off to explore. People were giving them odd looks because of how they were dressed, but they were only passing glances and no one seemed to care too much about their surroundings, instead focusing on small machines that fit in the palm of their hands. Everyone seemed to have one of those; they were all tiny and varied in many colors. Yet even if they had stared, Lina was so fixated on learning about those motorcycle things that she wouldn't even notice or care. Gourry didn't appear to understand anything that was being explained about the peculiar vehicles, but he stood by Lina and listened anyway. 

Amelia and Zelgadis walked by a place with many lights and sounds coming from within. It caught her attention and she stopped to look through the glass windows. She found many machines with changing picture windows on them. What were those called? Ah yes, screens. "I wonder if this is part of the digital library, Internet."

Zelgadis observed the jovial behavior of the people inside the structure. All the buildings in the city were packed close together and reached high into the skies in tall rectangular towers. The shape of the structures was nothing grand in itself, since they were built as long boxes, but the glass windows and the lights were a sight to behold, making the buildings look majestic. Zelgadis also couldn't help it but to note that this city was a very noisy and crowded place. "Those people look like they're playing," he observed.

"I know that screens that are connected to the Internet can be used for research, but I didn't know you could play with them." Amelia's eyes shone with curiosity. "It'll be okay if we make a quick stop here and have a look. I want to see this!" She rushed in, pulling Zelgadis by the arm to follow her.

The odd pair walked around the arcade observing the different machines all around. "You must be from the agency!" A blond young man with green eyes, approached Amelia and Zelgadis. "I'm Andrew, the arcade manager. Great costumes, very believable. The agency said they couldn't send anyone, but it looks like they managed after all."

"Agency?" Zelgadis and Amelia voiced in unanimous confusion.

"You're not from the agency?" Andrew realized. "Well, I have to say you're certainly talented cosplayers. Would you like to do a job here at the arcade?"

Amelia's eyes lit up, "yes, we were just looking for jobs!"

Zelgadis was a little more cautious. "What would we need to do?"

"Oh, it's quite simple. We're promoting the new Star Fantasy video game that just came out. As I'm sure you know; the game is all about having science fiction and magical fantasy all in one epic adventure. All you would have to do is hand out the promotional fliers to customers around the city and direct them here. Everyone who buys twenty or more tokens today, will get the chance to pre-order a rare special edition of the game," Andrew explained. "Are you up to it?"

"A promotional job, it sounds like it would be easy," Zelgadis admitted. He imagined the pay wouldn't be too high for such an easy job, but they had to start somewhere. "Alright, we'll take the job."

"Leave it to us, Mr. Andrew, we won't let you down!" Amelia cheered.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Filia and Xellos were conducting their own exploration of the city. Filia had mastered the ability to retract her jetpack so she didn't have to worry about having that sticking out of her back all the time. She did want to find something more comfortable to wear. Bareback dresses were not her usual choice of attire, but it was a matter of functionality in this case, so she thought she should make an effort to let it pass. She knew their finances were tight, but this was a necessity. She stopped to look at the displays in a clothing store. Male and female mannequins showed off the latest trends, at which Filia wrinkled her nose in disapproval, "tasteless."

"You've said that about all the outfits you've seen," Xellos reminded. "Why don't you try on that one," he pointed at the female figure behind the glass. "It's pink and you have an obsession with pink, so you should like it, though personally I think it would look better in purple."

"Absolutely not!" Filia nearly shouted. "That shirt only covers the front and it leaves the shoulders and back bare. For the top of an evening gown I suppose wearing something like that tied around the neck would be okay, but not for something to wear for normal daily tasks, very much less paired with a skirt that would only be the proper length for someone who is three feet tall."

"So you think Lina should wear it?" Xellos joked, though his face always was cheerful, so it was all the same as if he had said it with a straight face.

Filia tried to stifle a fit of giggles, "she'd kill you for that one."

"I know, I'm awesome," Xellos grinned. "So back to the topic on hand, I have a little money that Beast Master snagged from Millie's wallet. I can get you that outfit if you'll wear it. Weren't you looking for a shirt that didn't get in the way of your bazooka, I mean jetpack, anyway?"

"I suppose..." Filia sighed in defeat. "But I'm not wearing it with that skirt and I'm getting a nice jacket to wear over it when I'm not using the jetpack. Let's go into this shop and take a look around. You need to get some clothes too."

"I can just change my projection, you know. I am a hologram after all," Xellos demonstrated by appearing in a modern attire, coming up with it based on what he had seen.

"Xellos! What if someone saw you changing like that? They might be suspicious of us, more so than they must already be!" Filia looked around but to her surprise, no one was paying him any mind beyond passing odd glances that didn't last more than a split second. "Or maybe they don't care... What are those machines they keep staring at in their hands anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but my guess is that they are connected to the Internet. It's not just a place for information, but from what I've learned, it also can be use to communicate with others even at a very long distance. It's like a network of knowledge and instantly transmitted messages that reach all over the over-world. There's also more entertainment than anyone could look through in a life time," Xellos explained. "I'm glad I'm a digital being, exploring the Internet is even faster and easier for me than for those who need to use mechanical interfaces like that."

"It's really that great, huh? Well I want to have a good look at it later, not just for research for our mission, but also to look at the culture of the over-world in general and see what people around here do for fun. It's a great opportunity to learn so much." Filia was getting all excited just thinking about it. She looked at Xellos new appearance, really taking the time to examine him.

"Yes I know, I'm very hot," he grinned mischievously, opening one eye as if to wink, or reverse wink.

"Oh shut up," Filia tried to look annoyed, though it came out more amused than she intended. "You do look like you could blend in around here, except for the purple hair and..." She tugged on the fabric of his jacket, the hologram making it feel as if it was real fabric, though it would shortly disappear if he took it off. "This... Must you wear this with the purple fur on the ends?"

"It's stylish!" Xellos insisted.

"Right..." Filia knew there was no arguing with him. "Let's just check out this store. I want to find something to wear and get a job quick. I wouldn't want to give Zelas a reason to start being overly critical of me like she always is. Well, she's going to do it anyway, but like I said, I don't want her to have the satisfaction of a real reason. I must earn enough money to cover my expenses and do my part in the maintenance of the vessel."

"You're certainly determined," Xellos grinned in amusement. This would be so much fun.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 054: Dollars! Legendary Temper Tantrums

"Xellos!" Filia, now clad in a knee length skirt, a halter top with a jacket that matched the skirt over it, and a new pair of boots, yelled at the purple haired hologram walking beside her. "I told you to stop ruining my chances to get a job!"

Xellos grinned in amusement. He got nutrients from the negative emotional energy absorbed by the Great Beast and the target had to be within the vessel for it to work, so angering Filia now wouldn't provide him with any energy, but it was still fun. "You told me to stop saying things that embarrassed you and I stopped. I was perfectly quiet the last time you went into a business to ask if they would hire you."

"But you kept making weird faces at me!" Filia accused. "No one is going to hire me if they think I hang around crazy people all the time." For a moment she had to pause and think about how true that might be after all. "You want me to earn money, don't you? May I remind you that it would be useful to Beast Master if I did."

"Oh yes, yes, yes," Xellos smiled. "I guess I've had enough fun for now. I'll leave you alone to your job hunting and go do some business of my own." Just like that he was gone; he disappeared from beside her in the middle of the crowded streets.

A few passers stopped to stare, but soon went on their way, running their fingers over the little machines they held. Filia let out a breath. Perhaps strange things were not that unusual for the people of this city or this didn't qualify as strange enough to be acknowledged by their standards. She was suspicious about Xellos going off on his own, but if he was plotting something, he would find a way to do it even if she did follow him. Besides, following him would be difficult since he could project himself anywhere in range of the Great Beast and she was sure that included quite a wide area.

Thus Filia decided to focus on continuing her job hunt. She walked by a place that looked like some kind of restaurant with a big help wanted ad on a sign in front of it. Hopeful, she entered the establishment. By then the sun had sunk in the horizon in a similar fashion to how it did in her world of origin and people were starting to gather in the business. Upon further inspection of the interior of the establishment, Filia concluded that it was actually a bar. She took a moment to observe the tables, the long counter lined with stools and the multitude of bottles on the shelves on the wall behind it. Then she turned around to leave, having no interest in working at a bar. It simply wasn't her style.

However, before Filia could leave, a group of men started calling out to her from one of the tables, asking her to join them. Appalled at being called a 'hot cutie-pie' Filia stormed over to them with a look of pure fury in her eyes. "You men should be ashamed of yourselves! I demand an apology!"

The men, who didn't realize in what danger they were, since they were humans, as were the vast majority of the inhabitants of that planet, and Filia was a very strong cyborg, only laughed. "Aw, you heard that boys? She wants us to apologize." The leader of the bunch laughed heartily, with his lackeys following his example. "Sure, honey, let's kiss and make up." He made kissing noises at her.

The man's actions only angered Filia, who grabbed him by the shirt, easily lifting him and threw him out across the street to crash into the window of the building on the other side. She looked back at the other two men who sat in shock, jaws slack. "He... Hewa... Hewajima?" One of them muttered in fright. 

"Run!" The other cried out and he, as well as several other customers that were seemingly unrelated to the incident ran out of the bar.

Filia didn't mean to cause such an uproar, but she was too caught up in her hissy-fit to care. 'What's a Hewajima supposed to be anyway?' She mused.

"Alright, alright, I'll pay!" The bar's manager stepped forward. "Don't trash the place, Hewajima, I'll go get the money!" He dashed into the backroom and returned with a briefcase. "Here's the money, just call him off! I mean her..."

"Well, that was easy..." Filia turned to look at the one who spoke, a man with dreadlock hair, wearing in a suit stood at the entrance to the bar receiving the briefcase. "Just so you know, the lady doesn't' actually work for me." 

A blond man in a bartender suit, stood just outside, watching the scene play out quietly. "Huh?" The bar manager blinked. "I thought that Hewajima was dressing up as a woman for some unknown reason. I mean, who else is that strong around here?"

"I'd never do that!" Shizuo barked, which caused the manager to cower in fear.

Shizuo and Filia exchanged curious looks before simultaneously declaring, "we've never met before."

"This is strange, but the timing is perfect, let's talk business." The man in the suit led Filia over to a table. "I'm Tom Tanaka and I would like to offer you a temporary job, miss...?"

"Filia," she supplied.

"Tom, you don't mean..." Shizuo half asked.

"You've been wanting to take a vacation overseas and who am I to hold you back?" Tom reasoned. "I just said I needed a proper stand-in until you returned and if this lady was mistaken for you-"

"Unreasonably," Shizuo inserted.

"My point is that she must be strong. You were the one who sent that guy flying across the street, weren't you? Would you like to work as my bodyguard for a while? I'm a debt collector you see, and people sometimes like to take out their frustrations on me, but it's much safer with my good friend Shizuo around," Tom explained.

"A bodyguard... I was looking for a job. Alright, I'll do it!" Filia agreed.

"Great, we're just about done with work for today. Shizuo, can you give her a few pointers?" Tom asked. "It's a very simple job but it wouldn't hurt to get a basic rundown. Get her a suit like yours too; it seems to have an effect on people, since they associate it with you. You can charge the suit to my card," Tom passed over a credit card to Shizuo. "I think I can trust you with that, well then, I'll leave preparing your replacement to you. See you tomorrow."

"Later Tom," Shizuo had a curiosity he needed to address. "If you don't mind me asking this, Filia, what is the source of your strength?"

"I'm a dragon..." Filia revealed before she caught herself and corrected it, "I mean cyborg!"

"That explains a lot," Shizuo voiced. "Well let's get you that suit Tom suggested and then I'll tell you all about how a normal work day goes."

xoxox xox xoxox

A few hours later, Lina and Gourry spotted Amelia and Zelgadis eating in a fast food restaurant and join them. "Food!" They begged.

"Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, don't tell me you spent the whole day asking questions at that shop instead of getting a job!" Amelia scolded them.

"But the motorcycles were so cool!" Lina whined. "Besides, we got to hear all sorts of stories about some legendary headless rider that drives around the city!"

"I didn't really understand any of the explanations, but they really did look cool," Gourry joined in. "And we even got to join a secret color gang called the Dollars!"

"Yeah, it's a good gang that has transparent as their color," Lina proudly elaborated. "You guys should join too! You don't even have to do anything and you get to feel totally cool!"

Amelia sighed and shook her head. "I suppose we can't leave you to starve, it would be cruel. But please try to make up for it tomorrow."

"Don't forget we're on a tight budget. Plus our pay may go down even more when we convert it from local currency to universal." Zelgadis reminded. "I know you'll both really like this," he paused to recall the correct full name of the dish. "Double bacon extra cheesy ultra beefy burger deluxe," Zelgadis recited the product's name, "but try not to eat more than three or four of them."

"But Zel, you've already had five," Amelia pointed out.

"That's my point! These things are addictive!" Zelgadis took another big bite of his food.

"Well the food certainly smells good," Lina reached for a fry, but Amelia snatched it away. "Miss Lina, these are my mega cheese filled ultra jumbo fries deluxe!"

"Oh come on, I thought you were sharing your food with me!" Lina complained.

"And me!" Gourry added.

"Look, there's Lina Inverse now." A familiar voice was heard from across the restaurant along with approaching footsteps. 

"So this is the Lina Inverse who is so well known in the other world." A young man curiously stared at her. "You're exactly as Xellos described."

Lina raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Just who is this guy and what did you tell him, Xellos? And what's with that purple fur?" Upon closer inspection, she noticed that Xellos and the unknown man were dressed very similarly in style, save for the fur details of Xellos' clothes being purple. 

"It's stylish!" Xellos defended.

"I'm Izaya, an information broker, currently engaged in a very interesting information trade with Xellos." The young man introduced himself with a sly grin.

Lina glared at Izaya suspiciously. "I don't trust you; you're too much like Xellos."

Izaya chuckled, "a sharp one, eh? But what I really want to see is a legendary temper tantrum." Surely a conflict of the proportions that Xellos described would be enough to awaken the head of the valkyrie. 

"Xellos, just what in the world have you been telling him?" Lina snapped, standing from her chair and pulling Xellos in a headlock.

"My nuggets!" Amelia suddenly exclaimed. "My super bacon filled mega beefy ultra nuggets deluxe! Mr. Gourry, please refrain from stealing my food!"

"But I'm hungry," Gourry whined, giving Amelia the sad kitten eyes.

The sad stare was working, as the Seyruun princess began to feel guilty. "Oh... I'm sorry. All this delicious food is turning me into a greedy monster. Please, have the rest of my fries and nuggets."

"Thanks, Amelia!" Gourry was about to happily eat the food he was given, but he was interrupted.

"What?" Lina shouted as she released Xellos and pounced on Gourry, knocking him to the floor and keeping him down. "What about me?" 

"I'll share with you too..." Amelia smiled nervously. This was bad, now Lina would get addicted to the super delicious food and they would be broke. They would have to eat and run, so much for making an honest living.

Before Amelia even had time to finish speaking those words, Lina was already stuffing her face. "More, I want more of this delicious food!"

"We better not let her try the frappes," Zelgadis whispered to Amelia, who nodded frantically. She didn't like the wild look in Lina's eyes. 

"Looks like there are some wild people in your world, Xellos." Izaya commented to his newfound best friend. 

"Oh yes, wait till you meet Filia," Xellos cheerfully shared his own version of Filia's description, which was, according to him accurate, but would be, according to her, offensive enough for him to be chased away with murderous intent. 

Just as Xellos spoke, two more people entered the restaurant. "Tom won't mind if we get a bite on his account. I'll just say we got hungry and we weren't done discussing the job specifics." Shizuo voiced as he arrived with Filia.

"Filia is a golden dragon, you know what I told you about them and their obsession with pretending to be perfect and peaceful and all that junk right?" Xellos continued his story. "Well she's the most hypocritical of the golden dragons. She's a complete and total sadist who blows her temper over every little thing. She's got this nasty habit of chasing me around and trying to kill me." Xellos chuckled with mischievous amusement. "It's lots of fun and totally hilarious!"

Filia heard the whole thing and was fuming with anger. By now she was dressed in her new bartender suit and looked like a female version of Shizuo, who was enraged by the mere sight of Izaya. Both of the bartender suit clad blonds reached for nearby tables, lifting them with ease.

"IZAYA!!!"

"XELLOS!!!"

The raging blond furies threw the tables at their respective targets, who dodged the hits with great agility. It wasn't really necessary in Xellos' case, since he was a hologram, but he liked to show off anyway. The pursuit was only getting started as Izaya and Xellos dashed across the restaurant with Shizuo and Filia throwing tables and chairs at them. They hurried outside, followed by a curious Lina and Gourry who had already devoured all the food that Amelia and Zelgadis had bought to take to the Great Beast and save for later inside that super advanced refrigerator that could preserve food almost indefinitely.

Vending machines were picked up from the streets and hurled at the trickster duo as Izaya and Xellos ran away, seemingly enjoying the chase. Shizuo and Filia were hot on their trail, throwing parked cars and, much to Lina's dismay, motorcycles at them, which she thought was a great waste. A motorcycle without headlights zoomed down the street, then the screeching of tires was heard and the same vehicle returned, moving backwards. The rider, a person wearing black clothes and a yellow cat eared helmet, stopped to witness the occurrence taking place.

Three others, two boys and one girl, stopped nearby, excitedly watching the scene unfold. "Shizuo got Rule 63!" The girl, who answered to the name of Erika, pointed excitedly.

"Why does Izaya's Rule 63 have purple hair?" Walker, a boy with a sleepy expression, asked.

"Maybe it's a Rule 34!" Erika exclaimed.

The other boy, Kyohei, gave her an odd look. "How does purple hair turn a Rule 63 into a Rule 34?" He reluctantly inquired.

There was a long silent pause between them, until Erika finally replied with a serious tone and a smiling face that didn't quite fit her sudden change in tone of voice. "You don't want to know."

The chase of Filia, Shizuo, Xellos and Izaya continued through the city. Shizuo uprooted a lamp post and Filia was quick to follow his example. She pulled another lamp post out of the concrete covered ground and started swinging it at Xellos as if it was her mace. 

"They're tearing the city apart!" Amelia exclaimed in alarm.

"What if they bill us for the damages?" Zelgadis pointed out.

"Zelas sent us here to earn money; she's going to be mad if we only earn debts!" Lina exclaimed. 

"What if she locks us out of the kitchen?" Gourry worried.

"We have to stop them!" Lina rushed after Filia and Xellos, with Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis joining her in the pursuit.

The chase went on through the city, eventually making Lina lose her patience. "That's it, time to put our weapons to good use!" Out of her new cape, which was one of Kain's capes, Lina pulled out a psy-gun. It didn't have power like the weapons of light; instead it only served to channel the user's own psy-energy. However, it was, if given to the right person, much more powerful than a regular laser gun could be. Because of her quick temper and abundant energy, this type of weapon was given to Lina, who shot a succession of rapid fire at the hunters and hunted alike.

"Be careful, you'll hurt them!" Amelia cautioned.

"What are we supposed to do? Make that highway road maze thing collapse to stop them?" Lina sarcastically declared. "That's a great idea! Let's destroy the highway, then they'll have nowhere to run!"

"Okay!" Gourry rushed off to follow through with the plan, actually thinking that Lina's sarcastic remark was serious. He dashed between the cars that screeched to a halt, some on time and others colliding with the vehicles in front of them in a massive highway chain of accidents. Gourry used his psy-sword, which was the most powerful of the psy-weapons the group had at their disposal, as the hilt was made from the leftover material from Lina's broken brass racket. He began to destroy the columns that held up the highway bridges, making the foundation of the road maze shake and begin to collapse.

Lina could only stand there in open mouthed shock. "He just had to take that seriously..." She slapped her forehead in frustration.

"Gourry, stop it!" Zelgadis shouted.

"I'm trying to stop them!" Gourry called back. "How about giving me a hand with the column on the other side? You can use your armor's power!"

"That's it, I'm going in there!" Amelia put on her psy-energy gloves, which made her pacifist crush and other martial arts techniques super strong.

"What are you going to do?" Zelgadis urgently asked.

"I don't know!" Amelia replied all too cheerfully. "But everyone has had the chance to try out their new weapons of justice and I want to try mine too!"

Filia remembered that she could still fly as a cyborg. Though sadly the back of her bartender suit was ripped by her jetpack, she flew past Shizuo, knocked a surprised Izaya out of the way and grabbed Xellos who simply disappeared. "Xellos!" Filia screamed in fury. "Come back here Xellos!" She shot lasers in anger, making a bigger mess of the already demolished highway system. If she was still a dragon, she would be transformed and stomping around. "You went back to the Great Beast, didn't you? Xellos!" She hurried away towards the space port.

"Stop in the name of the law!" An officer yelled from a helicopter flying overhead.

"A flying, spinning machine?" Amelia looked at it with curiosity.

"Never mind that weird thing, Xellos has gone back to the ship and Filia is heading there too. We have cops on our tails; it's time to get off this planet!" Zelgadis urged. "Even the locals decided it was a good time to disappear." He noted that Xellos' new friend and the guy in the bartender suit were nowhere to be found, likely having retreated when the police arrived.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here, I had enough of cops trying to arrest me with that Wizer incident a while back" Lina certainly didn't want to repeat that experience. "Hey Gourry, we're leaving, so get over here now!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Thus Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis retreated to the space port where Filia was searching for Xellos' whereabouts all over the Great Beast yelling, "you can't hide forever!" Though he could indeed choose not to project himself for an indefinite period of time, leaving his data to reside only inside the Great Beast's computer systems. 

"Zelas, the cops are coming!" Lina yelled as she rushed into the control chamber, followed by Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis.

"I noticed," Zelas smiled calmly and began to take off.

"Great Beast, you do not have permission for take off, there are fugitives of the law on board!" An urgent voice ordered from the radio transmission. 

"Shut up," Zelas blocked the communication link and forced her way out of the space port, hurrying towards the openness of the atmosphere in outer space. Several space patrol ships rushed towards her, but they wouldn't be enough to match the speed of a lost ship. Zelas was confident that she could easily lose her pursuers with a light speed jump and she knew just what coordinates to enter. "Hold on to something, we're jumping to light speed!"

To be Continued


	19. Chapter 19

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 055: Host! A Contest of Charm

"What!?" Filia yelled at the top of her lungs as Xellos revealed the truth about their recent stop on a city planet. She, Xellos, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Zelas were in the Great Beast's control room as the lost ship traveled through the vastness of space.

"Like I said, the real reason we stopped where we did, was so I could get some information from the one called Izaya," Xellos established. "I had to give him information in return, but I told him things that would be relatively commonly known in our world, nothing of too much importance for us, though it seemed interesting to him. I didn't ask him what I needed directly and allowed him to drop hints around it by thinking I was inquiring about something else entirely. One of those hints happened to be the piece of information I needed."

"A mission well accomplished," Zelas commended. "I must say, I didn't expect to hear the story that Xellos told me. I thought you were going to keep things quiet and find some honest jobs. Ah, but chaos is chaos wherever it goes. You, my minions, are first class chaos." The group had little to say in their defense and no one spoke. "Why the sad faces? I just gave you a compliment." Zelas laughed, though she did enjoy their negative emotions, as it provided her with energy.

Lina decided that it was time to change the subject from the recent happenings to the purpose behind them. "What's done is done; we can't worry about it now." She still got a bad feeling about it. "So you got the information you need, care to inform your crew how you intend to use it? As the captain, I should know."

"Gladly," Zelas grinned. "As I'm sure you all know, I am a dark lost ship, it's not surprising, since I was originally a monster lord. Given that fact, I feed on negative energy. However, so does Darkstar's vessel, Dugradigdu. In other words, if I try to attack Darkstar with dark energy, I'll only be empowering him. Unfortunately, the same is not true the other way around, because of the sheer amount of his energy. So in other words, I have two choices. One choice is to gain more raw power than Darkstar and overload his systems with my native dark energy, to give him more than he can take. This is a difficult choice because of the limitations on time and the fact that Dugradigdu is prepared to carry even more power than what Darkstar has right now, which is plenty by itself."

"So overloading him with dark energy will be nearly impossible," Zelgadis concluded.

"Given our limited time, I would say it is impossible," Zelas admitted. "I can build my power over time, but so can Darkstar. Even if I strategize to gain power faster than him, it would take a long time to catch up, time that is not available. You see, right now Darkstar is focusing on breaking through the protective program Canal gave us monster lords. He's trying to take over Dolphin and Dynast. That is why he's not actively searching for us as much as he could. If he accomplishes that, he could move on to take over the communications across this world. That would take time and energy, but he would still do it faster than the time it would take to gain enough raw power to surpass him, especially after he takes the power belonging to Dolphin and Dynast for himself. He'd track us down and destroy us if we wait to long."

"So dark energy doesn't work against Darkstar, but that's not even surprising!" Amelia exclaimed with determination. "Darkness must be defeated by light, by justice!"

"That is my other option," Zelas acknowledged. "The power of light is one that Vorfeed wields, but I have no intentions of becoming her tool, nor will I change my vessel into a lost ship of light, if that were even possible some how. However, I can still temporarily wield the power of light with the right equipment. We're following up on a theory and a legend here, but it's our best lead. If I get my hands on the stone known as the White Materia, I can use it to purify my negative energy into positive energy as an outside process and use it against Darkstar."

"Yes, the power of justice will prevail!" Amelia cheered.

"So we're off on a treasure hunt of sorts." Lina mused aloud. "But there's still one thing that worries me." She paused dramatically then nearly shouted. "What about our supplies? We need food!"

"Yes, yes, food," Zelas disregarded her concerns. "For the millionth time, as long as you're useful to me alive, I won't starve you. We'll have to make another stop along the way. Xellos, research the maps and find a suitable place for job hunting. Make it another planet populated mostly by humans, it'll be easier to blend in and find work that way."

"What about that trouble contractor business you mentioned before?" Zelgadis inquired. "Wouldn't that be more effective than regular jobs?"

"Yes it would and that's what we're heading out to do," Zelas grinned with cunning anticipation. "Our clients are desperate and will pay a high price for us to rid them of the dark lost ship that's been terrorizing their home because he thought they were hiding a certain white ship."

Lina looked at Zelas suspiciously. "A white ship? Are you talking about the Swordbreaker?"

"I am, except the Swordbreaker isn't there," Zelas revealed with a wickedly amused grin. "You see, I created a crisis for us to solve by spreading false information and leading Nezard to a rich place to cause destruction. We'll have to defeat Darkstar's allies eventually and it is best if we face them all one on one. First I'll get the White Materia and then I'll head into battle against Nezard as planned."

"You're putting innocent people in danger just so you can get money for ammunition and take down our foes? That's not fair!" Amelia complained in disapproval. "What about saving both this world and ours?"

"I care not for the fate of this world," Zelas reminded. "My goal is revenge against Darkstar. We may share a common enemy, but that does not mean that we share a common goal."

"But that's..." Amelia wasn't sure how she could reason with the monster lord. "Lina, say something!"

"There's nothing I can do." Lina admitted with a serious expression that was a mix of resignation and frustration. "When we make the next stop, let's earn a lot of money so that Zelas doesn't have to resort to things like that in the future."

"Lina..." Amelia frowned.

"Zelas," Lina looked into the monster lord's holographic eyes, that looked just as real and sinister as ever. "You don't need to take it out on other people if all you want is my energy. I can get angry all on my own, in fact there's nothing that could make me angrier than I am! Darkstar is trying to destroy my world and he's caused enough damage already. I don't need any more motivation to hate him!" The petite redhead yelled.

Zelas smiled with a mocking air. "Then keep that hatred strong."

"I've found a suitable place to land," Xellos informed.

"Good, let's go then," Zelas decided.

xoxox xox xoxox

The Great Beast landed on another planet populated mostly by humans. It was quite similar to the one they had visited before. As with last time, Zelas claimed she had decided to remain on the ship, while Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos went out to explore the city. Filia was rather quiet and kept glaring at Xellos, no doubt upset about how Zelas was endangering innocent people in her quest for power. As they explored, they stopped in front of an elegant looking building with a sign in front of one of the golden lined glass windows.

"According to this, this place is looking to hire people to work as hosts. It looks like some kind of restaurant and ball room inside so I guess they're looking for waiters," Lina concluded. "I guess it's a good thing we can read this, but it's been making me curious about why our languages are the same."

"They're not," Xellos revealed. "Since I'm a program in this world, I have a variety of languages added to my very being. I also kept what I knew from our world, but the truth is that the language you are speaking right now is not the same as before. The only explanation I can come up with is that when you were thrown into this world, that was one of the changes that was made to make you adapt. Your native tongue became a sort of equivalent from this world. It should change back when we return to our world."

"That's actually pretty interesting, I didn't even realize we were speaking in a different language, though somehow, different words come into my mind when I really think about it," Lina mused aloud.

"It gives me a headache to think about it," Gourry whined.

"Anyway, I'm no currency expert, but it looks like the pay is good. What do you think of these numbers, Xellos?" Lina asked.

"They look pretty good," Xellos agreed. "But did you read what the sign says at the end? There are certain requirements to be hired for this job."

The group looked at the sign again. "What's the meaning of this? It says they'll only hire 'males of good appearance between the ages of eighteen and thirty,' but why?"

"I assume it's because their clientele is female," Xellos pointed out.

"So that's what it means by host..." Lina groaned. "But the money is so good and the opportunity to sneak food out of the kitchen even better!"

"Lina... You could never be a waitress," Amelia sighed.

"Funny, Luna told me the exact same thing once," Lina recalled. "But I don't see why not. Delivering plates to a table can't be all that hard."

"Um... Are we going to get jobs here?" Gourry innocently asked.

"No!" Filia exclaimed. "I do not support establishments that make use of physical charm to win over their customers and trick them into spending more!"

"Even if they hired women, you wouldn't get any tips," Xellos teased.

"Shut up, raw garbage!" Filia shouted. "Even if they hired women, I wouldn't work here!"

"Wait a minute," in a sudden burst of rebellion, Zelgadis had an idea. "Gourry, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That the secret ingredient of Pepsi is a little piece of Heaven?" Gourry asked with a thoughtful expression.

"Tell me about it, I could drink a whole barrel of that sweet bubbly stuff!" Lina gleefully exclaimed.

"No! Well yes, but that's not the point!" Zelgadis tried to get the conversation back on track. "I think being waiters can't be all that hard. In fact, we should all take the jobs. All of us."

"But they only hire men..." Amelia reminded.

"Oh no, I know where this is going!" Lina stomped her foot and placed her hands on her hips.

"It's only fair after all you've made us do over time, right Gourry?" Zelgadis argued.

"Huh?" Gourry blinked in confusion.

"Aren't you going to ask me to back you up?" Xellos cut in.

Zelgadis huffed, "of course not, you actually enjoy dressing up as a girl."

Xellos gasped and feigned offense. "Why Zelgadis, are you doubting my manliness? If you would only take a moment to ask Filia-"

"I don't want to talk about that!" Filia shouted, her face crimson.

Getting back into topic, because he really didn't want to talk about that either, Zelgadis explained. "Lina is always making us dress up as girls, so we should return the favor and make her do the same!"

"But she's already dressed up as a girl," Gourry logically pointed out.

"That's not what I mean; we'll make her dress up as a guy!" Zelgadis explained.

"A sweet, beautiful, delicate and ultra feminine creature like me could never pass for a man!" Lina argued.

"Than you'll miss out on a well paying job with access to fancy food," Zelgadis countered.

"That's it! You're on!" Lina accepted the challenge. "C'mon girls, we'll be the most handsome men this town, this world, has ever seen!" Lina grabbed Filia and Amelia by the arms and began to drag them away. "Amelia, since you still have some money left from that job you took, you'll be paying for our new clothes!"

"What?!" The Seyruun princess protested. "But I worked hard to earn that money! Do you have any idea how many silly poses I had to strike for random people while handing out fliers?" That was coming from someone who loved making justice poses, so for Amelia of all people to get tired of it, she must have done a lot of posing.

"Wait a minute!" Zelgadis called out, though it was already too late. "I didn't mean to drag Amelia into this too."

"Um... What should we do now?" Gourry inquired.

"We beat them, that's what!" Xellos exclaimed; taking the other two by surprise. "Are we going to let the girls get away with being better men than us? Shouldn't actual men be better at being men?"

"Right, we can't back down," Zelgadis reluctantly agreed.

"Alright!" Gourry cheered, "Than let's go play in the mud, I haven't had a good mud fight in ages!"

"Mud fight?" Zelgadis and Xellos chorused with perplexity.

"That's right, mud fights are manly," Gourry nodded, sounding sure of himself.

"Mud fights are just messy," Zelgadis breathed in annoyance. "What we need is to be sophisticated and handsome."

Xellos changed his holographic projection so that he was now wearing a dark purple suit. "Both of which I already have."

"Changing your projection like that is cheating!" Zelgadis accused, caught up in their little argument. "C'mon Gourry, I still have a little money left, we're getting some new clothes!"

"Alright!" Gourry wasn't sure what was going on, but he liked that he had the opportunity to hang out with the guys. He loved Lina and cared for Amelia and Filia like sisters, but having a day out with just the guys was nice once in a while.

"I'm tagging along too; you guys wouldn't know what clothes to pick. Let my sophistication be your guide!" Xellos hurried after Zelgadis and Gourry.

"Sophistication? Ha!" Zelgadis laughed sarcastically. "We'll follow your advice when we want to look like clowns."

"I'm clearly the most sophisticated out of all of us!" Xellos argued back. Thus the back and forth continued as the three noisy and, from an outsider's perspective unsophisticated, men went off to buy some new clothes.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at the host club... "No, no, no!" The shout of a very upset gentleman pierced the air. "You brute!" He dramatically grimaced. "I knew that there would be many barbarians applying for this job even if they could never handle it, but I never expected for a man this rough to set foot in here!"

"What?!" Lina screeched in anger, her voice sounding oddly manly, due to the voice modulator chip hidden in her tie. She and the other girls were wearing suits with Amelia and Filia a bit uncomfortable with tightly bandaged chests. Lina bandaged hers too, though it was hardly necessary.

The manager of the establishment frowned even deeper at the reaction presented to his disapproval. "Mr. Lin, please retire."

"Give me another chance!" The examination room was currently occupied by Lina aka Lin, Amelia aka Lan, Filia aka Lun, Gourry, Zelgadis and Xellos. They tried not to laugh so as to not mess up their test. Yet the angry Lina, in a suit, with her hair brushed back to look as 'manly' as possible without changing the cut, it all made her raging eyes stand out more and made her look even fiercer than usual.

The manager twitched in stress, "I can't take this anymore. I was planning to finish a few more interviews as an example, but I need a moment to recover after witnessing this. I'm going to skip the rest of the introductions, I can't witness anymore of this and I do apologize for that. Please excuse me now; I will leave you to the rest of your examination by someone very capable that I have hired for the task. Lady Zelas, please come in."

"Zelas?!" The six host hopefuls exclaimed.

Zelas entered the examination room with a confident stride. "Greetings, gentlemen."

The manager waited a few seconds before letting out a hopeless breath. "Gentlemen, please greet the lady properly. As soon as I saw lady Zelas, I knew she's refined and sophisticated, so I had to hire her to screen the interviewees. Now greet her properly and do your best. I must be going now." He hurried out of the room dramatically, as if he had just witnessed something terrifying. The area remained in silence until the manager suddenly returned with the same dramatic flare and bowed to Zelas. "On second thought, I cannot simply abandon such a fine lady with a ruffian in the premises." He eyed Lin with distrust.

"You need not worry," Zelas assured. "I'm certain I will be alright. Please go rest; you really seem to need it."

The manager paused as if debating on what to do. Finally, he decided that the way Zelas' silver eyes went from alluring to terrifying was a good hint that he should leave. "Best wishes..." Then he dramatically exited the room again.

Zelas grinned at the perplexed group, out of which only Xellos was composed. "Shall we continue the examination? It sounded like Mr. Lin had been eliminated, but I might give him another chance. Shall we repeat the test now?"

"Yes!" Lina exclaimed. She cleared her throat and tried to perform the test again, following the instructions the manager had given her. "I mean, welcome princess!" She spoke the greeting the hosts were required to say. "Sit down, have some tea." After a short pause, Lina scrambled for the chair. "Wait! Let me get that for you!" She pulled the chair out from under the table noisily.

"How nice of you to bring out the appetizers, however I cannot consume them with this projection. Although I still enjoy witnessing the chaos, it amuses me," Zelas grinned as she sat down.

"Chaos? Appetizers?" Lina was focusing on trying not to fail the test and not paying attention to much else aside from the routine she had to follow. "Yes well," she sat down across from Zelas and poured herself some tea. "Let's just drink up and... Oh wait, the first cup is for the guest," she switched the cups. "Cheers to chaos!" She laughed half-heartedly, hoping that Zelas would just pass her already.

"Cheers!" Zelas lifted her tea cup, and with a soft 'cling' touched it against Lina's, but didn't drink it as she was a hologram. "At least as an astral being I could still pretend to drink tea and taste it. Oh well, I suppose having a vessel has its advantages too, being a lost ship isn't so bad now that I'm getting used to it. By the way, Mr. Lin..." Zelas knew all their fake names and fabricated backgrounds, indicating that she had been secretly watching the show from the start.

"Yes?" Lina looked hopeful. "And may I take a moment to say you look especially evil today? Cause you look especially evil today." She laughed nervously, trying to come up with a suitable compliment like the manager had previously instructed.

"According to the manager's criteria you failed this very simple 'greet and serve tea' test miserably." Zelas' expression was very similar to that of Xellos' usual cheery face at that moment, as Lina's jaw dropped and she prepared her argument. Yet it wasn't needed as Zelas continued. "But I'll pass you anyway, just to see how you do at the gala tonight."

"Yes!" Lina cheered before correcting herself. "I mean, thank you, sweet lady."

With a sweet expression that didn't match her suddenly harsh tone of voice, Zelas called out, "next!" Leaving the other five host hopefuls to contemplate who should face the test next.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 056: Mischief! The Grant Gala Heist

Zelas let out a theatrical yawn, as Filia finished her script, exactly like the host club manager had explained it to her earlier. "Boring!" Filia said nothing, maintaining a blank expression. "It must be a dragon thing. Are all male dragons supposed to be dull? It must be what they're taught. Milgazia sure learned it well. I guess I should at least commend you on your acting skills. You're putting me to sleep with boredom, just like dragon boy would." Filia twitched a little, but didn't say anything. "I guess that's it, see you at the gala tonight, and to the cute boy with the purple hair, make sure you bring all your jokes tonight!" Filia twitched some more, remembering Xellos' dragon jokes, particularly her least favorite of why did the dragon cross the road? Yet still the blond cyborg remained silent, fuming inside in a way that Xellos quietly longed to taste.

xoxox xox xoxox

That night, the host club was full, and the manager was stressing because the CEO was coming to oversee the operations of that particular establishment of the franchise in person. He saw that Mr. Lin was there and his stress grew. Yet he didn't breathe a word, assuming that Zelas had somehow managed to cure the redhead of his 'barbaric ways' as the manager would say. Yet a stream of high pitched, "eeks" drew his eyes to the aforementioned redhead. "Oh no..."

"Mr. Manager," a melodious voice called out from right behind the stressed man. He turned around slowly to gaze upon the smiling face of the CEO of the chain of host clubs, Tamaki Souh. "I must ask a question." The only response he got was a quiet nod, thus he continued. "Why are there three princesses playing the part of princes?" The manager remained speechless and the CEO concluded that he didn't know about the princesses that were, as he said, disguised as princes. Tamaki approached Lina and gently took her hand, "greetings, princess."

Lina's jaw dropped and she mumbled incoherently, too shocked to stop Tamaki from removing the voice modulator from her tie. "How... how did you...?" Tamaki only gave her a charming smile in reply to her unfinished question.

Gourry spilled the tea he was trying to serve to one of the giggling customers. Amelia noticed the situation and dashed over to encourage him. "Go to her! Don't let anyone steal her from you!"

Gourry frowned, oblivious to the displeased expression on his client's face. "Lina only likes me as a friend. I can't stop her from liking someone else. Just look at her face, look at how she's blushing!"

Amelia thought it was ironic that Gourry noticed all that when Lina did it for someone else and remained clueless when it came to such reactions directed at himself. "She's just surprised; you're the one she really wants. You can't give up, fight!" Amelia posed as if she was delivering a justice speech and the curious voices and squeals of the customers increased.

Gourry still looked indecisive, so Zelgadis stepped in. "In love, there is often the one who runs away and the one who gives chase." In his case, Amelia had been the one chasing him. "Lina is shyer than she lets on, you'll have to be the one to chase her. Take my word for it, you have all the possibilities, no, you have all the assurance, in the world. Go to her."

With new determination from his friends' encouragement, Gourry decided that he was not going to stand quietly on the sidelines. He marched right over to where Tamaki and Lina stood, then he stopped with a blank expression. What was he supposed to do? He had no experience in fighting over a girl, and he had a feeling that it would be vastly different from any other kind of fight. Besides, that guy didn't know he liked Lina, not that it officially made a difference anyway, since she was technically single. "Um... excuse me..."

Tamaki looked at the man who addressed him. "Yes, how may I help you, fine sir?" 

Lina's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as she considered what Gourry could do next. Yet Gourry's reply was an anti-climatic, "may I cut in?" 

"Of course," Tamaki stepped aside, but before he left, he gave Gourry a piercing look, right into his eyes. "However, my good sir, I must remind you that one must be more assertive in the quest for a princess' heart. I can see it in your eyes that your love is true, you must not hide it." Just as elegantly as he came by, Tamaki moved on to talk to the other disguised 'princess', as he referred to all pretty girls, whether they were royalty or not, though this one actually was. "Greetings, princess," he kissed Amelia's hand and felt Zelgadis' eyes burning into him. He had managed to remove all his armor after battling it out with a screwdriver and actually looked fully human for the night. "There is no cause for alarm, good sir, I simply wanted to greet the lady," he smiled.

"I guess you have a very good eye..." Zelgadis admitted.

"Of course," Tamaki assured with a proud charming smile. "The eyes of a true prince can spot a princess from any distance, in any crowd. I am also skilled in spotting love and I see it here too. I'm not sure what the purpose of this masquerade is, but it may prove to be amusing, so I will not interrupt." As Tamaki walked towards the third princess in disguise, the murmurs of the guests increased and the fan-girlish theories flew about all sorts of hidden soap opera worthy plots to explain the current setting. Forbidden lovers, the whispers said. They were all forbidden lovers in disguise trying to hide away from a murderous ex or an arranged marriage with great influence or something along those lines. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Lun, aka Filia's, table as filled with fan girls. They squealed in delight as they tasted the tea Filia brew herself. "Here you go, miss, please enjoy," she politely served the tea of another girl. 

"Thank you, Mr. Lun," the brunette girl sighed happily.

Two other girls whispered among themselves. "Mr. Lun is so charming," the blond whispered.

"Oh yes he is," the dark haired girl next to her sighed. "He's so kind and delicate."

"He's a true gentleman," a redhead sighed.

Xellos watched the scene play out with jealousy building up inside him. He shouldn't even be jealous, Filia didn't like girls and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. 

"Look at his eyes, he finally opened his eyes!" A girl with blue eyes, who was at Xellos' table, exclaimed. 

"His eyes are so mischievous and mysterious," voiced her green eyed neighbor. 

"I told you there was more to his cheerful expression," added the girl with brown eyes. 

Xellos remained ignorant to the conversation about himself happening right next to him, for his attention was focused on Filia. She was not paying any attention to him at all. She shouldn't be playing the gentleman; she should be trashing the building in a jealous rampage. Then the purple haired hologram saw a blond man with charming violet eyes heading towards Filia and every other mental alarm that wasn't already flaring, went off at that moment. Try to deny it as she may, Filia had a thing for eyes that were purple or similar shades. 

Tamaki reached Filia, who had been focused on making and serving tea and thus didn't notice the recent happenings with her friends. She thought the way he carried himself meant that he held an important position. She was about to greet him politely when her view of the approaching blond was blocked by another body.

Tamaki had already begun to step forward and reach out for Filia's hand when Xellos projected himself between them, though there was hardly enough space for him there. As a result Tamaki ended up stepping on Xellos' foot when he stepped forward to reach for Filia's hand. The CEO of the chain of host clubs famed throughout the galaxy, had already inclined his head and closed his eyes, as he always did when kissing a woman's hand, but the hand wasn't quite what he expected, "greetings, prin... prince?" 

Tamaki looked up in confusion and saw a pair of deep violet eyes with elongated pupils glaring at him. "You're stepping on my toes." Xellos pointed out with a growl.

"Oh," Tamaki stepped back, not bothering to ask if he meant that only literally or both literally and metaphorically. "My apologies, kind sir." It wasn't that Xellos looked kind at that moment, but rather Tamaki hoped he was. "I can se you hold a strong and passionate love for your princess. I merely wanted to greet her. I assure you, there is nothing to worry about."

Xellos reclaimed his usual cheerful mask. "A strong and passionate love?" He laughed mockingly, as if it was the most ridiculous joke he ever heard. "You, kind sir," he intoned with sarcastic mockery, "are delusional."

Tamaki grinned, his expression momentarily resembling Xellos' mischief, which caused the tricky hologram to do a double take. Yet in a split second, the mischief was gone and the charm was once again thick on Tamaki's handsome face. "My good man, denial is not becoming for a gentleman." He smiled a charming smile that was so full of true innocent cheer, that if Xellos had still been a monster, he might have cringed.

The whole time, Lina and Gourry were standing around, unsure of what to say. Amelia and Zelgadis watched them, as if trying to coax them with their eyes into spilling out their feelings. Before anything more could be said, the lights of the elegant establishment turned off for a few seconds. Squeals of fright erupted through the gala until finally; the light came back on with a flicker. 

"Save us, Mr. Lun!" Several girls were clinging to Filia for protection. Xellos pulled her out from their group before he had time to think about what he was doing. His unexpected reaction towards his fellow host, elicited more squeals from the girls. "Shounen-ai!" They squeaked.

"That's one possessive uke," Xellos thought he heard one of the girls whisper to another, who had the nerve to nod in firm agreement. 

He pouted, Xellos was no expert in fan girl language, but he thought the possessive one was usually labeled seme. "Why am I the uke?"

"Does it...?" Filia paused to remove the voice modulator hidden in her tie and grinned. "Does it matter?"

The fan girls gasped in unison. "She's a girl!" They squeaked in disbelief. 

The girl who had made the uke comment before flipped her short auburn hair back and grinned. "He's still the uke, because she's such a sadist, I can smell it."

Feeling self conscious, Filia blushed and took a discrete breath as if trying to perceive her own scent. Never mind that logically speaking, no one should be able to actually smell sadism. The whole time, Xellos continued to glare and pout.

"My jewels!" One of the girls of the gala cried out. A wave of similar cries followed, as the distracted fan girls finally realized that their jewelry had been stolen when the lights flickered off a short while ago.

"It's about time you noticed my genius heist!" A voice was heard echoing all over the grand hall. The lights flickered off and on again and there stood a certain hologram that, despite her current apparel, Lina and her friends recognized right away. Zelas was wearing a black suit similar, yet not exactly the same, as that of Catwoman. Tall boots and long gloves were paired with a main piece that looked more like a black leather bathing-suit than anything else. She had a wolf tail and a mask that covered the top of her face with wolf ears. The mask ended atop her nose, making her eyes look like golden lights. Her platinum hair was long, reaching down to just above her wolf tail and she sported a fanged grin. 

Tamaki gasped, "it is a jewel thief she-wolf princess!" He exclaimed with more excitement than concern.

"Paper and coin currency isn't commonly used on this planet, cards are all the rage, but they go with finger prints to activate for purchases and for large sums even retina scans. It's too troublesome, so I'll just take the jewels instead and sell them in the black market," Zelas announced. "The way things work in this world, jewel thieves have a reputation for leaving an impression, so here's mine!" She was basing that conclusion on the jewel thieves from movies, but who could stop her anyway?

Suddenly, strong metal, long arm-like hooks held on to the building's high ceiling and pulled it right off as if removing the lid of a box. The hooks originated from the Great Beast, controlled by Zelas. "It's time to make our triumphant escape!" The hologram projection of Zelas disappeared, as a tractor beam extended from the Great Beast and levitated Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia towards the ship. Being a hologram as well, Xellos simply reappeared in the control room, where he was soon joined by the others.

The interruption caused a distraction, just when Lina and Gourry were about to have a breakthrough. But now Lina automatically, maybe even unconsciously, took the opportunity to retreat into her shell and demand an explanation, focusing on anything that wasn't directly related to her feelings for Gourry. "What's this about, Zelas? Was it your plan all along to steal all those jewels?"

"Of course it was," Zelas grinned as the Great Beast made its way further away from the planet where the robbery took place. "Did you really think I was going to wait for you to try to make some honest money? I'm a monster lord, remember?"

"I for one remember it crystal clear," Filia pouted. She was having such a good time studying Xellos' possessive reaction to the fan girls. 

"I'm glad that's been clearly established," Zelas continued to grin with egotistical mocking mischief.

A transmission suddenly came online and Zelas curiously received it on her main screen. A young man with black hair and silvery gray eyes, wearing a blue and gray uniform appeared on the screen. Next to him there was a young woman wearing the same uniform. She had light brown hair in a ponytail and big green eyes, with a very Amelia-like expression upon her face. "This is lieutenant Raily Claymore of the Galaxy Police. Great Beast, you are here by ordered to stop immediately!"

"That's right!" The brunette woman next to Raily exclaimed. "I, agent Nina Mercury, order you to do as he says!"

"Not again!" Lina groaned. "I said I had enough of running from the police with that time when Wizer was trying to arrest me!" She exclaimed exasperated.

Zelas adopted a thoughtful expression. "That's funny; I thought Rail was supposed to be on our side." 

"It's true that Kain and the others are our friends and I sometimes get them trouble contractor jobs," Raily admitted. "But I can't allow your unnecessary crime spree to continue. I've been tracking you since that incident on the highway of the previous planet you visited."

"That's right!" Nina joined in, speaking in a tone that was remarkably similar to the volume Amelia used for her justice speeches. "We followed you to this planet to get an explanation, but after the damage you've caused, it's clear that your behavior is inexcusable. We may all be enemies of Darkstar, but we at the Galaxy Police are also protectors of the innocent!"

Amelia's eyes were shining with admiration as she listened to the speech with full attention. "I want to join your noble cause!" She happily exclaimed, going into a justice speech of her own. "To travel across the galaxies, from one planet to another, apprehending evil doers and protecting the good and innocent; to spread hope throughout the vastness of the universe, that is the noblest goal an ally of justice could have!"

Nina and Amelia's eyes shone with just bliss as they realized they shared a special mutual connection. "Yes, join us!" Nina encouraged. "The Galaxy Police will gladly welcome an advocate of justice like you!"

Raily and Zelgadis exchanged concerned looks, while Zelas thought it was time to end the conversation there and then. Nonchalant and disregarding, Zelas spoke, "so you wish to get in our way instead of making yourself useful? Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway, it's not like you can make a difference! Preparing calculations..."

"Ready!" Xellos chirped cheerfully.

"Eat our stardust, copper, mwahahaha!" Zelas had heard that line in a space opera sci-fi gangster movie and she had been wanting to say it ever since.

Raily gritted his teeth and delivered an interesting attack in the form of a particular phrase. "The one who arose from Shabranigdu bows down in the name of Chaos!"

A jolt of electricity coursed through Zelas' holographic projection and the Great Beast's engine momentarily stalled. "What did you do?" Xellos demanded.

Zelas growled with her holographic projection flickering and almost fading. She couldn't control her vessel at all. That man's words felt like a very powerful astral attack would feel in her world. It was paralyzing. "Xellos, take over!"

"Jumping to light speed now!" With Xellos in command of the vessel, the lost ship Great Beast made the jump to light speed, leaving the Galaxy Police far behind. "Their ship is too slow to catch up with us, but we'll have to keep moving if we're going to continue to elude them. I didn't think they posed any danger just by looking at their ship, but..." He looked at Zelas with concern.

Zelas' holographic projection stabilized as her systems rebooted. "That phrase caused me to shut down almost completely. It must be some kind of emergency shut down code integrated into lost ships. I'm alright now, I'm going back online. I guess it's a good thing this vessel has two AIs, it seems the shut down only affects the one acting as the primary AI at the time."

"I'm not one hundred percent clear on everything that you just said," Lina admitted with a serious face. "But from what I can gather, basically, if he had spoken that phrase again before we had time to escape, then Xellos would have shut down and without an AI system to support the ship's functions..."

"Not even the manual control would have responded, because even if we relay control to the crew, an AI is still needed to keep the ship's complex systems working properly," Zelas confirmed. She frowned upon realizing she had a glaring weakness that she wasn't even aware of before. "I take back what I said about this not being so bad, having a physical form is troublesome."

"Yet vital," Amelia reminded.

Realizing what the Seyruun princess was talking about, Zelgadis recalled. "What we heard about Darkstar having the remnant power of the Stillness."

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "At least you won't have to worry about that."

"Yet that needed defense comes at a price," Zelas mused aloud. "However," the mischievous confident grin returned to her face. "Wasn't it interesting how lieutenant Claymore made use of Shabranigdu's name in that phrase he spoke? What if we switched it to Darkstar?"

"Then it should only affect the dark lost ships of this world!" Filia exclaimed in realization. 

"Well then, let's try it out while we're safe to make sure," Lina decided. "The one who arose from Darkstar bows down in the name of Chaos!" Nothing happened. "Looks like you're safe as long as I don't say Shabranigdu." Lina grinned evilly. "By the way, Zelas, you won't mind making a few stops at the best gourmet restaurants of the over-world, would you?" 

With a cheery expression like that of Xellos', Zelas voiced, "oxygen off!" Lina and the other humans found themselves gasping for air until Zelas decided the warning was clear enough. "Oxygen on... Oops, I guess I was still recovering from that last shut down and couldn't keep the life support system going for a minute there."

"Point taken," Lina grumbled between big breaths of precious air.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 057: Outmatched! The Hidden Power Remains Elusive

After the Great Beast jumped to light speed, Raily leaned back in his chair and let out a breath. "Just as Kain said, the main AI of the Great Beast is stubborn and proud. She won't accept help from us, just as she insisted on going off on her own and cutting communications with the Swordbreaker for now."

"But wasn't that done so that they wouldn't stand out?" Nina inquired curiously.

"That was the logical explanation," Raily agreed, "but not the whole story. Zelas wants to do as much as she can on her own. She doesn't want to be saved by a lord of light from another world. She had enough of that during her first encounter with Darkstar. It's probably more than enough for her to have to rely on humans from her world."

"I get it," Nina smiled. "Then giving her that hint was the best thing you could do to help her."

"Yes," Raily nodded, "I told her about the greatest weakness of the enemy and herself. I just hope she knows that it won't work on Dugradigdu, because of that Stillness business."

"The effect on Darkstar's allies is also reduced because of their connection to him, isn't it?" Nina remembered hearing something like that from Canal the last time they called the Swordbreaker. Nina was often catalogued as a scatterbrain, but it wasn't that she was entirely dumb, she was just a little clumsy, as proven by the tea stains on Raily's uniform. 

"That's right," Raily confirmed. "That code can be their trump card, especially since it needs to be spoken by a human and the Darkstar's lost ships don't currently have captains inside them as far as we know. Besides, even if they got captains to boost their power, feeding off their negative energy, they would probably be trapped in an unconscious nightmare and both unwilling and unable to utter the phrase against the Great Beast. Yet they can't rely on that trump card too much, because after it's been used once, it won't be effective again for several hours, which is more than enough time to finish a battle."

xoxox xox xoxox

As the Great Beast continued its travels in relative calm, suddenly, the radars lit up, alerts flared and Zelas' relaxed posture turned fierce. "It's Bodigar!" She announced in alarm. "I was planning to face Bodigar and the others after I obtained the White Materia, for now let's jump to light speed!" The crew of the Great Beast braced themselves for the jump that came and went in a flash.

Yet after a few more hours of travel, the radars lit up on the screen again and Bodigar sent a transmission. There was no image to go along with it, only the sound of his voice. "Go ahead and waste your energy jumping if you want. I'll be right behind you. Even fake IDs can be tracked if you know what to look for. There are communication signals all around, surely you feel them, you must feel the digital plane."

"So you've found a way to track me," Zelas glared. "Thanks for explaining it," she mocked sarcastically. "I'll make sure to change my IDs after every stop from now on."

"You won't have any more stops, your rebellion ends here!" Bodigar threatened.

"Forget the plan, I'm taking him out right now," Zelas grinned confidently and for a moment she wondered if Raily had actually given her a free hint. He didn't even try to open fire after he spoke that paralyzing phrase. Either way, she didn't have time to think about that now. "Lina, say it!"

"With pleasure!" Lina took a deep breath and spoke with absolute confidence. "The one who arose from Darkstar, bows down in the name of Chaos!"

The effect was immediate; Bodigar cut the communication channel with a pained groan, as electricity surged through his dark green and black metal.

"Lina, to the captain's chair. Filia you're the first officer," Zelas ordered. "Xellos, take Filia's energy while I take Lina's. Alright you two, get angry, we're blasting Bodigar into space dust!"

"Here we go!" Lina shouted. She and Filia focused on things that made them angry, allowing their energy to flow.

"Firing the main psy-cannon!" Zelas aimed point blank and fired a massive beam of energy with little effect. Frustrated, slightly embarrassed and above all angry, Zelas fired again. "Keep the energy coming!" A third shot was fired, even more intense than the others.

After the blast ended, Bodigar's outer armor was burned and bruised, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. Zelas knew that her dark energy wouldn't be very effective against the dark ships, but she thought she could overpower Bodigar when he was disabled. Yet now Bodigar's systems were back online and he was ready to go on the attack. "Is that all you can do? The other world must be very weak!" He began the assault with beams of dark light that went right through Zelas.

The Great Beast's crew, all save for the two AIs, Zelas and Xellos, collapsed in pain. Zelas needed their energy as fuel for her systems; she knew she couldn't win without them, so she had no choice but to protect them. "Shield to maximum output!" The dark light stopped invading the control room, instead being repelled by the energy around the Great Beast. "Lina, all of you, say it again!"

"The one who arose from Darkstar, bows down in the name of Chaos!" Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia spoke with pained difficulty, but nothing happened.

"That won't work again so soon!" Bodigar's voice came from the transmission again. The beams of dark light continued raining upon the Great Beast, who could only defend in response.

"Those beans of dark energy won't hurt me, they're aimed at all of you." Zelas glanced at the non-AIs in the ship.

"Don't forget that you need our energy, so you have to keep us safe from whatever that was!" Lina shuddered involuntarily. The pain, the fear, the desperation; it only lasted a few seconds before, but the mental attack was unbearable. Lina felt like she was dying, worse than dying, and she was sure that it was the same, if not worse, for the others.

"I won't make any progress if I just defend," Zelas growled. Her weaponry wouldn't work against him at all. "If energy won't work, I'll just attack physically!" A pair of arm-like structures extended from the ship, grappler arms, they were called by most over-worlders. Unfortunately, when Zelas tried to connect a right hook, dark electricity coursed through her vessel and her crew yelped in pain. "You're weighing me down," she growled.

The worse part, Lina mused desperately, was that Zelas had a point. If they didn't make themselves useful, she wouldn't protect them and their lives literally depended on her as things stood. "I was able to attack Gorun Nova with my own energy in a direct hit before." Lina was charged with chaotic energy from the trip to the over-world having just occurred at the time, so this time would be different. "If I could hit him directly without you making my energy become dark..."

"I'm not making your energy dark, it already is. Wrath is dark energy, unless you can shoot off pure courage while surviving in space, it's not going to work." Zelas growled and proceeded to ignore Lina. Bodigar looked like he was going to attack and after a mocking sounding laugh he did.

Zelas ignored the dark rays of energy, as they didn't really hurt her. "We'll have to prove we're not a burden." Amelia rallied up the others. "We have psy-weapons, we can use them to defend ourselves!" She cheered through the pain.

The humans and cyborgs readied their psy-weapons with difficulty. Gourry had a sword that had been made from the hilt of Lina's brass racket; the metal was very rare in the over-world, different from what they called brass there. Zelgadis and Filia used their cyborg components to project their psy-energy, while Amelia raised her psy-gloves to project her energy as well. All the energy was united by Lina. The redhead had her gun, which she controlled to release a steady beam of light over the group in the form of a forcefield, drawing power from all of them, channeled by their respective psy-weapons. In that way they kept themselves safe from Bodigar's attacks while Zelas tried to fight back, with Xellos assisting in trying to improve the processing speed and thus the reaction time and agility of the Great Beast.

The two dark lost ships collided, with the grappler arms built into the Great Beast hitting the enemy relentlessly. Zelas didn't seize her attack until the long metal appendages became useless and were ripped off by Bodigar. The metal parts floated away in space as the battle persistently continued. Unfortunately, Zelas' power was ineffective. 'I must have power.' The monster lord turned AI thought quietly. 'If my power was really this useless, Darkstar wouldn't bother trying to steal it. It must be something hidden in my mind. That is the source of a monster's power after all, their very persona. That's why melting Dolphin and Dynast's metal into Dugradigdu wasn't enough. Darkstar can't drain their mental energy because of Canal's protective program. If that wasn't important, then why not simply destroy them? Lina was able to fight off Gorun Nova with the chaotic energy from between the worlds, but this is different. It's not about what we could have acquired during the trip. Darkstar definitely wants something that we monster lords have. My power... If only I could unlock my hidden power, if only I had a clue of what it really is.'

While Zelas focused on her thoughts and the fight, Lina had asked, or rather ordered, Xellos to find a space suit for her. Once she obtained it, she took the energy from the others into her psy-weapon and speedily suited up, while Gourry gave her concerned looks as if telling her to be careful. She couldn't just Raywing away if things got too intense and she was separated from the Great Beast. She could use no magic at all. Would her psy-weapon be enough, even with all that energy? Lina could almost feel his thoughts just by looking into his blue eyes, proving once again how well they knew each other and that they did indeed share a deep connection. Yet she didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment. "Xellos, open the hatch!"

Zelas felt a tug, but she was so focused on maintaining her defenses up that she didn't pay attention to it at first. Gorun Nova must have lagged behind due to the extra time he spent in their world. Meanwhile, in the over-world, where technology thrived, Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis were receiving upgrades that Gorun Nova didn't have when he faced Lina; yet he could have them by now.

"Lord Beast Master, the hatch." Xellos' voice woke Zelas out of her concentration. She noticed that Lina seemed to be ready to do something. Zelas stopped resisting and allowed the hatch to open.

Lina was nearly thrown out with everyone else. They had to hold on to not fall into space, as the shield around the ship wasn't thick enough to hold off the vacuum of space completely. The redhead glanced at Gourry again and he smiled and gave her a thumbs up, silently communicating that he trusted her. That was just what Lina needed. Gourry and the others believed in her and they would project their psy-energy through the lifeline to the space suit to keep her safe while she focused on the attack. She knew she only had one shot. Gripping the psy-gun tightly, Lina made sure that the lifeline was secure on the space suit and, when there was a small lull in the fight, she jumped.

Everyone tried to keep the line steady as Lina aimed. "My energy may be mixed with plenty of wrath, but I'll make sure it has just as much courage! That, and the raw power of my world through we who represent it, will be your downfall!" Though her voice could not be carried through space, it came out loud and clear, transmitted through the communicator on her helmet and relayed by Xellos to Bodigar's communication link with the Great Beast. With a massive burst of energy, Lina fought against her natural limits and released, not only her main supply of energy and the energy the others gave her, but also threw out more of her energy from her vital reserves. It was a move that cost Swordbreaker's previous captain, Alicia, her life, yet Lina's endurance and ability to survive was beyond compare. Her hair became white from the strain and dangerous exhaustion, as her weakened form was pulled back inside the Great Beast.

The blast of energy hit Bodigar dead on. Though the energy of courage was indeed mixed with a high level of wrath, the raw power of it made up for it. That burst, point blank, was more than what Bodigar could guard against. As his systems overloaded and his consciousness was destroyed in a massive explosion, Zelas once again had to focus on the defense.

The stabilizers inside the Great Beast temporarily gave out as she was caught too close to the super nova-like explosion that ended Bodigar's existence. The crew was thrown about, with Gourry holding the fainted Lina protectively. Zelas strained her engines to get away from the aftershock and, after a harsh struggle, she managed to distance herself from the immediate area of Bodigar's demise and restore the stable atmosphere inside her vessel.

Everyone, save for the exhausted Lina, immediately sprung to life. They hurried to aid the redhead with the best medical attention they could give her without being able to cast healing spells. In the middle of tending to Lina and trying to calm down after the rush of the fight, Xellos was the only one who really noticed Zelas' especially foul mood. Try as she may to keep her cool, she was frustrated with being unable to properly use a mysterious power she was sure she must have. She was sick of feeling at a disadvantage, and now a mere mortal accomplished what she could not. Zelas was determined not to be in such a situation again. She jumped to light speed in anger, without giving her crew a proper warning, thus causing them to be tossed around again, just when they thought it was finally over.

"Ack! A warning would have been appreciated!" Filia snapped, yet a very serious warning glare from Xellos made her bite her lip and swallow any further comments. The glare also served as a warning of silence towards all the others. Zelas didn't acknowledge the complaint anyway. She was focused on her plan, on the lead she was following. This wasn't the key to unlocking her inner power, but it would make her stronger and that was all she had to go on for now. Zelas was determined to find the legendary White Materia.

xoxox xox xoxox

While on her way towards the designated destination on a remote, yet technologically advanced planet, the Great Beast faced yet another massive obstacle. "Nezard?!" Zelas glared at the radar on the screen and allowed the communication channel to open.

"I have found you, Great Beast. I do not know what cause Bodigar to disappear from my sensors, but I confirmed his demise." Nezard's voice came through the speakers in the Great Beast's control room. "Whatever it is you did, I assure you it will not work on me, if you're even capable of repeating it, as I see your vessel is in bad shape."

"You gave up on your hunt for Vorfeed rather quickly." Zelas showed no fear though in truth she was desperately buying time. Lina was known for her miracle comebacks, but there was no way she could pull off another after what she did. She would need a long rest to recover and no one else in the crew had the same instinctual ability to wield the over-world's version of their power like Lina had proven to have; not even Zelas herself, which only made the monster lord turned AI feel more frustrated with the situation, if an AI could feel such things. At that time, it appeared that it was indeed very possible. 

"I cannot be so easily tricked." Zelas and Xellos focused on repairing the Great Beast as fast as they could, while Nezard continued to speak, hopefully prolonging the conversation long enough for the engines to power up for a light speed jump. Although, given how things had gone with Bodigar, trying to run might turn out to be useless after all. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, not nearly long enough for the Great Beast to recover, Nezard got bored of talking and decided it was time to fight. "Enough stalling, I will defeat you now and bring back your barely functional remains to Darkstar!"

"Maybe I'll give it a go next time," Zelas replied with as much false nonchalance as she could muster. "Right now, I'm just not in the mood." She made a sudden jump to light speed with very dangerous coordinates. However, as the ship jumped, Nezard stole the coordinates from her system, as the battle damage had left the Great Beast's software firewall unable to function at its best, while the energy was diverted out of necessity to the repair of the damaged lost ship. Because of that, Nezard could easily follow Zelas, but she expected it.

"What is this place? Where have you led us?" The atmosphere was filled with boulders floating in space, for Zelas had flown straight into an asteroid field. She was in the middle of it, while Nezard remained just outside of the danger zone, still in range for communication. "Are you so desperate to run away from me that you would rather be destroyed by these asteroids?"

"These asteroids will not harm me," Zelas challenged. "Come and follow me to our battle field if you dare!" She flew deeper into the deadly asteroid field after baiting the enemy. Xellos was busy assisting with the Great Beast's sensors, which would be vital to their survival.

"Should we really be here?" Filia whispered in worry, not daring to raise her voice above a barely audible tone. She received no answer, as the two AIs were far too focused on their task of guiding the vessel through the impending danger.

The crash of the boulders against Nezard was heard and the enemy dark lost ship backed away. "You have committed suicide, Great Beast!" A sort of strange radioactivity originating from the center of the asteroid field affected Nezard's systems and he was unable to clearly sense the movement of the asteroids around him. The cameras alone would not be enough to guide him, as they would only show him his immediate surroundings. Without the aid of his radars, Nezard hurried to retreat out of the asteroid field, while Zelas went deeper in. However, her radars were not functioning any better than Nezard's. In fact, Zelas' sensors were fading faster because of the battle damage.

To be Continued


	20. Chapter 20

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 058: Divided! Chasing After The Lone Wolf

"I think we lost Nezard, shouldn't we be getting out of the asteroid field now?" Zelgadis' suggestion was shared by Amelia, Gourry and Filia. It would have also been agreeable to Lina if she had been conscious at the moment. 

Yet out of the four aforementioned conscious biological or semi-biological life forms, Gourry was the calmest. "It's okay, they're in control. She's guiding the ship and he's watching her back, they're okay, so we're okay."

"What do you mean?" Amelia quietly asked, voicing the inquiry that Zelgadis and Filia also wondered about. 

"They're being guided by instinct." Gourry explained with a certainty that could only originate from personal experience. "That's why I think Zelas was telling the truth before. The asteroids won't hurt us. Even without the radar thingies that make the moving maps appear on that screen thingy, they know where they're going. They just know, kind of like how sometimes I just know what my opponent's next move is going to be in a swordfight, before it happens and before I can even really see it getting started.

The lights flickered and dimmed as the Great Beast's sensors gave out entirely in a clearing in the center of the asteroid field, where a strange machine floated. The thing was like a cube with crescent moon carvings on the sides. "The grappler arms are gone, but this will do..." Zelas shot a cable with a hook-like end to it and grabbed the cube as if it was a toy from a pile in a crane game. She took the cube on board and Xellos projected himself close to the hatch to take it inside and to the control room.

The cube, which had been glowing golden the whole time, seemed to settle down and the interference that caused the radars and sensors to malfunction was gone. All the Great Beast's systems were back online, yet the strange crescent moon labeled cube remained a mystery. "What should we do with this thing, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos inquired with curiosity. A part of him want it to rip it open to see what could possibly be inside that caused such a strange effect, but his instinct told him to be very cautious with the mysterious cube that seemed to resonate lightly as if warning him not to do anything he might regret.

"We'll keep it for now." Zelas decided. Then, with her radars and sensors online, getting out of the cluster of asteroids was much easier. She was almost to the planet where the White Materia was supposed to be.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later... "Great Beast, you are clear to land at Shinra space dock zero zero seven." The voice of an automated control tower AI came through the speakers as the Great Beast landed at the intended destination. This planet was where the White Materia was supposed to be located. The structure was a shiny silver color with well kept metal that didn't screech and didn't have a single blemish. 

"Well, here we are," Zelas announced. By then, Lina had woken up, though her hair was still white. The captain didn't like the sound of Zelas' voice almost completely devoid of her usual nonchalance, with a noticeable tint of impatience. Something was to come and the twist soon became apparent when Zelas informed them of how they would proceed. "Xellos, Filia should have just enough room in her cyborg components for you. Transfer your main AI to her. Only your personality and main memories if you must, you can leave the rest of your functions dormant here and unite with the rest of your non-vital data later."

"But Lord Beast Master, why?" Xellos didn't like the sound of this. He thought it was something more than just the possibility of, apparently very needed, renovations to the Great Beast lost ship.

"I'm going off on my own for a little while. I have some training to do. All of you have the mission of finding the White Materia, which is hidden somewhere on this planet. I expect you to have it upon my return. I will pick you up in this same city later. Now go, that is my order," Zelas commanded with a glare that left no room for arguments. Xellos opened his eyes for a moment, but Zelas only glare more intensely, making it clear that she would force her previous command to him if he didn't hurry up and do it himself. Thus Xellos transferred the basics of his being to Filia, possessing her in a sense. Though she was still in control of her actions, he resided in her memory banks, in her mind and could take control of her movements if he wanted. But for now, he wasn't sure of what to do, so he just remained still. Xellos wanted to go with Zelas, but she wouldn't let him. 

"Zelas," Lina spoke, causing all eyes to go to her. She only spoke in that tone of voice, the leader voice, when she had something important to say. "This is hardly the time to be proud and want to do everything on your own. I know you have power beyond what any of us has, no one is doubting that. I also know you have a hidden power that Darkstar wants, a power that you haven't fully discovered yet. But no one here has figured out how things work in this world to their full extent and maybe by the time this adventure is over and Darkstar is long gone, we still won't know the full extent of how things work here. That's all the more reason to stick together and- ah!" Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, and thus Xellos, were thrown out of the ship by the force of a reverse tractor beam and the Great Beast took off into the depths of space. Zelas would just have to rely on her self repair capabilities to rebuild herself as she went along.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, in the world of the Slayers... "I can't find her anywhere!" Phythan complained to Milgazia. "Do you think Onyx is angry at me? She just disappeared."

"Calm down, I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Milgazia and Phythan were at Dragon's Peak. The golden dragon elder had a bad feeling that he couldn't get rid of, but after talking to several of the other dragons who lived there, he only found out that they had seen nothing out of the ordinary. Phythan had been asking around about his elf friend, Onyx, who had, shortly after returning to Dragon's Peak, seemingly dropped off the face of the planet, unknown to them literally.

The two dragons went on a search, but saw no signs of the elf girl in the usual areas she frequented. There were no signs of battle or a struggle of any kind, which made it all the more puzzling. Yet something kept Milgazia with an uneasy feeling and then he saw a nearly invisible ripple in the air, as if a transparent image was contorting against something. He approached and reached out with caution. When he touched the area, which appeared to be little more than thin air, there was a spark and he sensed something there, but he couldn't perceive it unless he was touching it. It was very suspicious, to say the least.

Seeing that Milgazia appeared to be focused, but not understanding what he was focused on, Phythan approached with a question. "Did you find something?"

"I think so," Milgazia replied with an uncharacteristic lack of surety, as he could hardly come up with an interpretation about what this was. Maybe it was a kind of side effect of the situation on the over-world whatever it might currently be. The dragon elder looked into the ripples and sparks with the younger golden dragon observing quietly. "There is chaotic energy here and..." He prodded the ripple in the space carefully and it opened up a little into a sort of portal. "It's a gateway of sorts." 

"I thought I heard someone. Hello?" A voice came from the portal, faint but just barely audible. "Is anyone there? Who is there?" The voice was female and she did not speak in a threatening tone, but rather a merely curious one. 

Milgazia thought it would be alright to answer her and hopefully get some answers in return. It wasn't the voice of the missing Onyx and he didn't recognize whose voice it was. "I am Milgazia, the dragon elder of the Aqualord's clan in the Kataart Mountains."

"Hey, wait a minute..." the owner of the mysterious voice contemplated. "That's in the other world! This is a portal to the other world!" She exclaimed, then tried to calm herself. "Oh... I mean, hello Milgazia, it's good to speak to you. This portal is too small for me, but I think a dragon should fit through, and it is stable enough to last for some time, so you can use it to return. Would you mind coming over here?"

Phythan huffed, "what kind of an obvious trap is that?" Furthermore, what was bigger than a dragon? Something with a very big astral form perhaps? Well, whatever it was, it was very suspicious.

"It's not!" The female voice insisted. "But I guess I can't blame you for thinking that. Let me explain, I am Canal and... Well actually, I think it's best to introduce myself in person. I'll send someone over there, okay?"

"Sure..." Milgazia stood at the ready for whoever the mysterious person decided to send.

"Alright! I'll go suit up and jump in," a male voice cheered. "While I'm over there I might as well take the time to check out the selection of capes in the local markets."

"No way, you'll get distracted!" Another female voice, different from the one who spoke before complained. "This is a job for the best in the universe! I'll go greet the dragon. Besides, I want to see what a genuine other world dragon looks like in his original world." 

"But what about the capes? I must see them!" The man insisted.

"Let her go, Kain," Canal settled the argument. "Millie, go put on a space suit, just in case."

A few more minutes passed and eventually a human shaped figure emerged from the portal with a lifeline connected to the suit that encased the person, which was connecting her to the lost ship from where she came, the Swordbreaker. "Was all this even necessary? We know that the air here is breathable for humans." She struggled with the space suit until she managed to get it off and stood at an average height for a human woman, wearing pink pants, with a white shirt. She had shoulder length blond hair and big blue eyes. She looked curiously at the two men standing before her, with them mirroring equal perplexity towards this newcomer. She looked beyond them and all around before she finally asked. "Where did the dragons go?"

"We are dragons," Milgazia clarified. At least their visitor didn't seem to have any bad intentions. She appeared to be trustworthy. 

"Oh?" Millie examined each of them with curious eyes. "I thought your forms would be different since you can't possibly be cyborgs here, can you?"

"Cyborg?" Milgazia inquired in confusion. Whatever that was, he didn't recognize the word.

"I'll take that as a no. It's just that I thought you'd be bigger." Suddenly, a conclusion came to her mind, it was mistaken but it was a possibility that she could imagine within the scope of her limited information. "I get it, you're not actual dragons, the word dragon here is used to signify a rank, right?"

"Nope, we're dragons, golden dragons," Phythan assured. "We're just in our human forms right now. Look, I'll show you what I mean." He took a few steps back in preparation.

Realizing that Phythan intended to change into his true form, Milgazia tried to stop him. "Phythan, don't," but it was too late. 

In a flash of golden light, Phythan changed into his dragon form with the usual process of any normal dragon transformation. That included storing away his clothes a split second before changing, so as to not rip them apart. It was done magically, so it was very quick, but still a split second's glance could be plenty for someone curiously watching in attention. "See? I'm a golden dragon." He smiled as if it was nothing, because to him it wasn't.

Millie's jaw was ajar, her eyes wide and her face a bright red. "Ah... um... dra... dragon..." she muttered incoherently.

"Aw, it's okay, you don't have to be scared. Don't believe those nasty stories about dragons eating humans. I would never try to eat a person!" Phythan assured, assuming that that was the only issue in Millie's mind.

"Um... ah... yes... of course... That's good to know." Millie tried to compose herself.

Milgazia sighed wearily; it seemed that modesty was still a concept well beyond Phythan's understanding. "Miss, allow me to introduce us properly. I'm Milgazia, elder of the Aqualord's clan and this is our home, Dragon's Peak. May I ask who you are and about this portal?"

"Oh yes, right!" Millie finished snapping back to reality and hastily explained. "I'm Millennium, but you can just call me Millie. I'm the first officer of the ship Swordbreaker, on which I travel along with the captain, Kain and the ship's persona, Canal. You might have heard of Canal's other self, Vorfeed."

"Night dragon Vorfeed!?" Phythan suddenly exclaimed, unable to contain his outburst. In another flash of golden light that came without a warning, he changed back into his elf-like form and bounced over to stand next to the other two in excitement. "Then you really are from the over-world and you even know the lord of light from your world! What about Miss Zelas and the others, are they okay?"

After a few more seconds of blushing silence, Millie snapped out of it and finally replied. "They're all alright," though that might not last very long. Millie didn't want to say how awkward the whole transformation process was from her point of view, so as to not offend the dragon. Besides, no woman would seriously complain about that show. "Anyway, about this portal; we just found it. We sensed the presence of a dark lost ship, that is a minion of Darkstar, near it and came to check it out. I don't think this will be a problem though, after inspecting it, we realized that the gateway is too small for a lost ship to squeeze through. Ah, how do I put it, a lost ship is like the lords of light and darkness of your world, sort of."

"Then that minion of Darkstar would be like a monster lord from the over-world." Milgazia concluded and Millie nodded in affirmation. "Even if this portal is still small, it would still be wise to keep it under watch until it is properly closed. Do you know why it's here?"

"The boundaries between our two worlds are weak because of a lack of balance in power," Millie explained. "Or at least that's what Canal concluded. The monster lords from this world are currently in the form of lost ships in our world. If balance is not restored and every mayor power is returned to where it belongs, the two worlds may collide and that will likely lead to the near complete, if not total, destruction of both worlds. Of course Darkstar doesn't care, all the opposite, that's exactly what he wants if it'll make his plans of total annihilation faster."

"Then if the monster lords are returned here that might make the balance situation a little better, but there's a catch isn't it?" Milgazia correctly theorized.

"Yes," Millie let out a breath. "The ones called Dolphin and Dynast are currently Darkstar's prisoners. As for Zelas, she can't come back, we need her help to defeat Darkstar. If we ask her to return here for the sake of the balance of power, it would be useless if Darkstar isn't stopped. We're running out of time and we're not quite ready. Furthermore, the communication we received from Amelia recently isn't too encouraging."

"That's certainly worrisome given how cheerful Amelia usually is," Milgazia worried. "What did she say?"

"Zelas went off on her own to try to unlock her hidden power. All of the monster lords were struggling trying to get use to their new forms as sentient machines rather than..." Millie paused to recall the term, "astral beings. Zelas hasn't been able to unleash her full potential. Even so when Lina and the others arrived, she separated from us and now she has also separated herself from them. Amelia said she was too proud to accept help and wanted to figure out how to use her power on her own. But if one of Darkstar's allies find her, and they are already looking for her, she won't e able to fight unless she miraculously suddenly learns how to use her hidden power."

"I see..." Milgazia was deep in thought about this new development. Zelas' cooperation was needed for this battle to be a success, she was vital towards victory. Yet it couldn't be easy for the powerful monster lord to be the underdog for once. When the situation was placed into perspective, she had indeed endured a lot that she wasn't truly prepared for. "Do you think you can locate Zelas?"

"Because of the protective program Canal gave her, she should be able to, even if Zelas manages to hide from all other communications to avoid the enemy," Millie replied. "Of course, avoiding all communications also means relying on her own self repair systems to heal slowly rather than being repaired at a port. It also means going without ammunition, but getting caught would be worse, so Zelas probably knows to keep a low profile."

"Do you have any clues about what her hidden power actually is?" A plan was being hastily formulated in Milgazia's mind. 

"Canal has found a few clues, but nothing has been established. The possibilities might not even be true. It's hard to theorize about beings from a different world after all. She is like the sentient vessels known as lost ships in our world, but at the same time, because that's not her original form, she has differences. It's hard to say what her hidden power might really be, but if Darkstar wants to capture her and take her power, rather than simply destroy her, then it must be something worth the trouble," Millie explain.

After some more thought, Milgazia finally reached a decision. "Alright, then it's settled. If Zelas is so strongly needed to save the world, even if her only motivation is revenge, then I'll go deal with that stubborn monster lord."

Phythan let out a little gasp of surprise. "Really? You're leaving? Can I come?" Before Milgazia could reply, a worrisome possibility came to mind for Phythan. "Do you think Onyx went through the portal?"

"I hope not," Milgazia sincerely answered. "Phythan, I want you to keep an eye on this portal and also, alert the others just in case more of these strange gateways appear. Take care of my clan; I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Alright, you can count on me!" Phythan cheered. "I'll do my assigned task very well, in the name of justice!" A bark was heard as a yellow husky dog approached. "Oh... no Justice, I wasn't calling you, I was just trying to say something heroic. But since you're here, you can help me with guard duty!"

Before further distractions came along, Milgazia spoke. "Miss Millie, please lead the way to your allies."

"Right... I guess I'll have to put on this silly space suit again," Millie began to do so. "I still say it's too much. Sure we'll come out in outer space on the other side, but Canal will beam us up right away, so it's not like we'll run out of air.... Ah forget it." Instead of putting on the suit, Millie detached the rope from it and stretched it so that there was enough to tie herself and Milgazia to it. "Okay, this end is yours, tie it around your waist and make sure to hold on to it just in case. There's no actual oxygen in the area between worlds, but the energy there is the energy of life itself," chaotic energy, "so that's not really a problem." Picking up the helmet after Milgazia had prepared, Millie spoke into the communicator within it, without actually putting it on. "The best traveler of worlds in the universe is ready to return with a visitor!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 059: Technology! Overcoming Limitations

'Now, where to start my training...' Zelas mused as she traveled across the vastness of outer space. Her radars detected a small planet near by, but it seemed to be devoid of life forms save for flora. It looked like a good place to start out, though unfortunately, other than target practice on rocks and trees, she couldn't think of much else to do. Her aim was already high precision anyway, and machines couldn't be trained like humans, they needed to be upgraded. Perhaps some meditation would be beneficial if her true power was indeed hidden in the depths of her own mind. 

Zelas landed in the forest covered planet, finding the flora to be rather similar to that of her world, but in much larger proportions with varying colors. "This is a disturbingly cheerful place." She mused aloud with distaste once the Great Beast had landed and Zelas projected herself on the surface of the planet. Leaving the lost ship to repair itself with its automated systems, the holographic AI went out to explore the lonely little planet. She found a comfortable spot next to a waterfall and sat down to think and try to unlock her hidden power inside herself, whatever it might be. 

Time passed and Zelas' radars picked up the signal of another ship passing by. It was a lost ship, but not an enemy. Zelas assumed that the Swordbreaker was just coincidentally passing by, as Canal made no attempts to initiate a communication channel between the light and dark lost ships. However, just as Swordbreaker left, Zelas picked up the presence of a life form moving towards her. She didn't think it was anything to worry about so she simply allowed the person to reach her location. Surprise filled her thoughts when she saw who it was that had been dropped off by the Swordbreaker. "Milgazia? What in the over-world are you doing here?"

"I came to see how the mission is going," Milgazia replied with a confident air that annoyed Zelas. "I want to do my part in contributing to the defeat of Darkstar too."

"I thought your role was to protect our world," Zelas pointed out.

"It's in good hands," Milgazia assured. "Other than the terrible feeling of foreboding that constantly hangs in the air," and the mystery of the missing Onyx, "things are relatively calm."

"Then you should go back the way you came and enjoy that calm while it lasts." Zelas threatened, though she wasn't in the mood to put much of an effort into it. "Because when I return after I beat Darkstar, there's going to be a lot of chaos in my world." There was a certain possessiveness in the way she spoke of her native world that was not lost for Milgazia, though he chose not to comment on it.

"It's good to know you're so confident." Milgazia smiled in a way that made Zelas feel as if their usual roles had been reversed. 

"Why is that?" She asked with thinly veiled curiosity.

"Because Nezard is on the way here as we speak. He was following the Swordbreaker, but since you're so strong, Canal decided to leave this battle to you." Milgazia informed with a smile that reminded Zelas of herself.

If she wasn't such a collected and controlled creature, Zelas' eye would have been twitching as she exclaimed her surprise. But she was indeed a very collected and controlled creature, so instead of screaming "what?!" She only made a pause and voiced a short "really?" That came out more softly than she intended.

"Really," Milgazia grinned with an unexplained confidence. He was glad that for once, he knew something that the monster lord turned lost ship didn't know. He finally had the upper hand on Zelas, if Canal's theories were correct that is. 

"You seem to be in a cheery mood," Zelas observed with annoyance.

"That's because I get a front row seat to the whole epic battle," Milgazia replied. "You don't mind bringing me along, do you? I mean, I'm sure you'd want the dragon elder of the Kataart Mountains to witness your awesome power, right?"

Zelas was about to retort, but she paused and gave Milgazia a studious look, as if trying to see right through him. "You still conceal your emotions very well, dull Milgazia. But they are seeping into your tone. I know you had a sarcastic side hidden somewhere in there." Milgazia straightened his already perfect posture and put on a serious face, as if he had been scolded for doing something wrong. Rolling her eyes, Zelas informed. "That actually wasn't meant to be taken as criticism. It was a mere observation and a good one at that." Though certainly not a compliment, absolutely not, because that was something Zelas would never speak of a dragon, not consciously at least. While their conversation took place, as soon as Nezard came up, Zelas remotely lengthened the Great Beast's radar range to look for him. By that point, she had spotted him, indeed heading towards their location. "Well, it looks like my radar picked up Nezard, if you're tagging along you better go get on board." The hologram disappeared.

With the invitation pending, Milgazia hurried to the ship he saw in a clearing just before he reached Zelas' projection. The vessel was impressive to be sure, but it was still in need of a lot of repairs. He wondered how she would fare against Nezard wielding her true power if she was clearly no match without it. They would soon find out if that mysterious power did indeed make as much of a difference as Darkstar made it sound.

xoxox xox xoxox

With Milgazia in the control room along, with Zelas' solid holographic projection, the Great Beast took to the atmosphere and moved in the vastness of space where there would be room to maneuver without obstacles. The possibility of jumping to light speed and trying to escape in a similar way to how she managed to lose Nezard before was out of the question this time. Canal had set her up for this fight and the enigmatic Milgazia was right there watching. "Before I face Nezard, I have one question for you, why did Canal set this up?"

"I already told you," Milgazia repeated his previous information. "Since you are so strong, you should have no problem beating Nezard."

"Under different circumstances I would have been amused by your sarcasm." 'And maybe even celebrating that you're finally coming out of your shell in a way that I thought only Flagoon was capable of achieving,' she privately added. "But I'm not in the mood right now. Speak, why did Canal set this up and why are you included in this?" Zelas insisted.

"I am but a spectator..." Milgazia's vague answer only served to anger Zelas further. He didn't flinch at the sight of her glare and instead only added. "I'm here to witness the great courage of the beast, so show me, mighty hunter, show me your bravery."

"You've got a whole lot of courage yourself talking to me like that!" Zelas snarled, but she could argue no further as Nezard had arrived. Yet a thought occurred to her, courage, that was just what she needed. Maybe Lina had trouble separating her courage from her wrath and it would all ultimately converge to dark energy when channeled through the Great Beast, but Milgazia was good at hiding his emotions, that's part of what gave him an edge against monsters, along side the fact that, unlike most dragons, he had no qualms about wielding a monster's own power against it. 

"I have finally found you; the white ship led me to you. It seems you must have had a fight if Canal decided to lead your doom to your hiding place!" Nezard's voice came through the communication link between the two dark lost ships.

"Who's hiding?" Zelas mocked, regaining her true confidence with a plan. "I hope you're ready to get blown up, because that's exactly what's going to happen!" She used her own dark energy to create a shield. Sensing the presence of a semi-biological creature, a cyborg, inside the Great Beast, Nezard shot the same beams of dark light he had used to try to disable Zelas' crew in their previous encounter. If Milgazia just came to the over-world, Zelas reasoned that he would be inexperienced in deflecting the attack, thus she shielded the vessel, preventing the dark light from reaching the control room and absorbing as much as she could for her own benefit. "Milgazia, you're the honorary captain, so I'll be taking your energy now. Put your stubborn courage to good use. Readying the main psy-cannon!"

"Courage... You have the right idea. I guess it's time I stopped holding back!" Milgazia focused on the feeling of courage and let it flow. It was calm and pure, much like the energy that, with vast difficulty, Kain had managed to achieve in his encounter with Darkstar in the start of what became the prophecy. Yet Milgazia was a dragon with a life span well beyond that of a human. Though humans had a certain intensity that made them very special, dragons had a calming constancy to them and Milgazia had enough experience to output courageous energy without the taint of wrath with relative ease. 

While Zelas prepared the main psy-cannon, Nezard did not relent in his attack with missiles and lasers. Zelas did what she could to dodge while keeping her shield up to maximum. Yet it wasn't Nezard's hits that paralyzed her all of a sudden. The hit that rattled the vessel and made all the electronics connected to it flicker and die down came from within. There was an explosion in her main engine as Milgazia's energy that Zelas attempted to wield backfired and ended up harming the Great Beast. The main engine was aflame and the security system offline, with her outer force field being disabled as well.

"It looks like I've broken through your defenses!" Nezard took the credit, though it was not entirely his. "Look at you, you're helpless!"

"Zelas, what happened?" Milgazia demanded with urgency.

The alarm that he suddenly allowed to manifest itself, gave her a little jolt that made the control room light up again, albeit only dimly. Zelas' holographic projection lost its solid quality, becoming as a flickering ghost. "Idiot," she growled with difficulty. "You attacked me instead of him!"

"But I gave you my energy just as you said." Milgazia argued, though the calmness around him had somehow been restored despite their odds. It was a natural reaction for him, but it was not what Zelas needed, given her nature. 

Nezard seemed to think that the Great Beast was disabled enough and he was only causing some superficial damage now, as he needed to deliver Zelas to Darkstar alive. Nezard was only ensuring that she wouldn't recover and launch a surprise attack while they were on their way and if he kept that up, he would accomplish his purpose.

"Zelas, you need to defend when you attack with a power that is the opposite of you." Milgazia seemed to be talking more directly now, as if he actually knew what he spoke of.

"If you have any information, say it now." Zelas' self repair system was being destroyed by Nezard and if that went out, so would her chances of escape.

"Awaken like Vorfeed and Canal did. Vorfeed couldn't handle it after Alicia's death; that was when she awakened. Thus she left Canal in her place and it was Canal who evolved." Milgazia explained, from what Canal had told him.

"What?" Zelas growled impatiently.

"Protect yourself from being overloaded, by using your own courage," Milgazia insisted.

"I'm a dark lost ship, I-"

"You are capable of producing your own psy-energy; that is the secret. The lost ships in this world were created as machines with a protocol to follow. Until they gained a life of their own, they were unable to truly produce their own steady supply of psy-energy. Darkstar and Canal had both awakened, but the former weapons of light that now serve Darkstar have not. The monster lords were living creatures from the start, they had their own thoughts. Even if they are adverse to positive emotions, they still have their own thoughts and wishes. They were not created to be automatic so they didn't have that to overcome." Milgazia explained as Nezard attached cables to the Great Beast and began to drag her away, towards Darkstar. 

"Just as Canal is capable of wielding pure burning wrath as a weapon because she is both light and neutrality," Milgazia continued. "You can wield courage because you are both darkness and neutrality. Neutrality isn't emptiness, it is a standstill, a possibility waiting to happen and possibilities, unpredictable as they can be, are chaos, they are life, they are the opposite of the Stillness. Both light and darkness are chaos and possibilities are what existence is all about. Nature may lean to a side, but technology has neutrality, it's a possibility waiting to happen. It's the gift of the Mother of All Things so we can be like her. It's the chance to create, not in such an absolute sense as she does, but in a smaller scale. You've become technology, so you've been given the possibility to wield both your native darkness and the light."

Zelas took in the new information. It made sense and yet she couldn't figure out how to actually execute it. "If the light harms my systems, then how can I wield it, even temporarily? Without the White Materia..."

"You don't need any outside devices!" Milgazia insisted. "You already have all you need inside you. Coat your being in your own courage and let's try this one more time." He began to remove his cape and shirt so as to not rip the back when his jetpack came out. Surely if Galathia was there she'd have a comment or two to make, and if she dared include Zelas in such comments, she'd have a pack or two of muddy wolves to bathe added to her list of chores. 

Deciding not to comment on his perplexing actions, Zelas went out to point out the obvious because it sounded as if her temporary cyborg captain had missed it, though in fact he didn't. "My self repair system is toast and my energy sensors are offline by now, in case you didn't notice Nezard's attack before. Even if I manage to wield my own courage to defend my vessel and prevent a repeat of before, I can't use yours as fuel for my psy-cannon because I can't absorb it."

"That's why I'm passing it on directly." From the base of his jetpack, compartments opened up and thick cords ending in plugs slid out. "Don't you think I would have taken the time to study my new form before coming here? I'm a cyborg, I'm technology and technology can connect with other technology."

"Wrong, dragon boy," Zelas argued. "I tried this with Filia before. She had outlets of the same type as some of mine, but that's just it, they were all outlets, so without an adapter cable, which I don't currently have, there was no way to..." She slowed down as Milgazia held up the end of the cables. "Connect..." The cables ended in plugs, thus no adapter cables would be needed to make the wiring compatible. "Alright, fine, do it!"

Milgazia connected his systems and synched them with the Great Beast, once more focusing on the energy of courage, to power the barely functional psy-cannon. Nezard would surely catch on to their moves, which meant that they only had one shot, or next time, Nezard would make sure beyond a doubt that the Great Beast was injured beyond repaired. Light sparks came from the control panel's surface and screen as Milgazia let out his energy much slower this time. "Zelas..."

"I'm on it," she growled impatiently. What was the theory without practice? Even if she believed she could do this, actually doing it was a whole different story. She focused on Milgazia's energy for a moment longer. She had to wield that, but it had to come from herself and she had to moderate and control it to channel it properly, just as Canal was able to do. She allowed his energy to seep into her systems slowly and gently so as to not overwhelm her damaged fragile vessel and reached in deep to find the energy within herself that could be compared to it. "I think I got it..." Then she brought it out and her self repair system somehow came online, quickly getting to work on making her functional again. 

An overwhelming sensation overtook Zelas. Her technology had been awakened from the minute she became it, but she had not felt it before. It was intense and chaotic, much harder to tame than she imagined, but not impossible to wield. She felt the neutrality tip and the battle of darkness and light waged in her mind. She coated herself in her own bravery and allowed more of Milgazia's energy to roam her systems. His eyes were closed as he remained perfectly motionless in concentration. The stinging pain faded and she could allow his energy to sink deeper into her very core and gathered in the power cell of her repaired main psy-canon. 

Nezard caught on to a sudden rush of energy. "What are you doing in there?" It was too late. The massive beam of courage empowered psy-energy was shot towards the minion of Darkstar point blank. Nezard could only defend as the cable he was using to pull the Great Beast along was snapped and he was thrown back. "Where did this power come from?" He had to use his secret weapon, to end the life of his trump card, the unwilling captain he stole from the other world, and with her pain, he would form a shield.

"More energy! Give me everything you have, I can take it now!" Zelas sounded a lot more like herself now, Milgazia noted. Confident, sure of herself, brave and cocky, but hers was the kind of smugness that she once again had the ability to back up. 

"Alright, you asked for it, Beast Master, I'll show you what a golden dragon can do!" Never mind that they were in different forms at the time, this wasn't entirely about their forms, but also about the power hidden in their very souls. Nezard's dark shield flickered, but the fact remained that Zelas had just only learned to wield this power and even if her self repair system was functional, she had not had the time to recover. "This is too much!"

"Don't underestimate me, dragon boy, don't you dare stop!" Zelas growled. A wave of pain was starting to overtake her because of her damaged systems, but she refused to let it halt her attack.

"Nezard... I won't let you..." A voice echoed through the digital waves around them. "I won't let you use me against them!" Nezard's shield suddenly disappeared and he was blown to peaces by the force of the bravery blast. 

The Great Beast had finally been victorious, but what was that voice? It sounded familiar and for a moment they sensed a presence there, one that they both knew. Zelas allowed her systems to cool off and focused on the repairs, though she also recognized the voice. It was Milgazia who spoke up about it, as he allowed himself to sink into the captain's chair, on his side, as the jet pack was still out, the cables still connected. "That voice sounded like Onyx..." He knew it, he felt it; something tragic had occurred.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 060: Regret! Duels and Mistakes

For a split second, the digital waves that had been previously invaded with the energy of battle projected a familiar image. Onyx looked towards the Great Beast and smiled because she had been freed from the torment of Nezard, then the last of her energy faded away completely, as her body had apparently already been destroyed along with Nezard. Milgazia watched the screen with sad surprise. "Onyx... If only I had known she was there." He punched the control panel in anger, fists and teeth clenched in frustration.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing picking a fist fight with a lost ship? If I turn off the life support in here, which wasn't easy to maintain this whole time I'll have you know, then you're going to feel it!" Zelas scolded. "I like the anger and frustration, but it would have been better if I had caused it myself, instead of it being a product of the passing of your minion's girlfriend." She huffed. "I'm having a bad day... Make that a bad month." She examined the control panel in horror. The Great Beast was beat up all over, but this was still unacceptable. "You stupid dragon, you put a dent on my control panel!" She grabbed him by the throat and started choking him harshly, albeit he didn't seem to be responding much. Her hologram flickered, as she was low on energy from the ordeal, and he slipped out of her grasp. "The least you can do is pay attention to me when I'm threatening your life!"

"I failed..." Milgazia spoke in a barely audible tone. "I was so focused on accomplishing my mission of making you awaken your power that I didn't think to make sure that Onyx had not truly been taken by someone from this world. I should have known; it should have been obvious to me. How could I have been such a fool?"

Zelas stomped her foot in frustration. As nutritious as his pain was, it was angering that she wasn't the cause. "I see, so I could never cause this no matter how I tried. The only one who can break you is yourself, your own disappointment in yourself. No one else can get you to this point and that's what's made you stay strong for all these years. You finally show me some good food and I can't even enjoy it. Hmp! You're a lousy prisoner, Milgazia. You're supposed to be miserable because of your captor, not because of your failure to live up to your own expectations."

"It's all my fault..." Milgazia continue to blame himself.

"What? Don't I get some credit? You could blame me!" Zelas insisted, wanting to take at least some of the credit for his misery, it was a matter of monster pride.

"I don't blame you, because you didn't know."

"Of course I knew, I knew and I refused to tell you!" Zelas gave him her most cruel expression.

Milgazia returned the glare with an empty look. "Lying doesn't suit you, Zelas."

She growled, realizing that there was really no way she could take the credit for this. "A broken battery such as what you have become is no good for me. I might still want to feed off you in the future though, so instead of disposing of you like I should, I'll just return you to our world. How did you get here anyway?"

"The barrier between the worlds is weak, there was a portal," Milgazia revealed.

"Where is the portal? Is it even still there?" Zelas asked and Milgazia nodded quietly. "For crying out loud, pull yourself together or I'll destroy your clan!"

That last threat seemed to make something snap into place in Milgazia and he was once again looking like his serious and diplomatic self. "I will not allow it." He stated with a calm that was almost eerie, not by itself, but rather because of how sudden the change was.

"So you are one of them. One of the dragons specifically trained to combat monsters. One with the ability to mask and perhaps even manipulate his own emotions. I thought that courage was a little too pure," Zelas observed. "Those dragons were pretty troublesome to eliminate back in the day. I didn't think there were any left. Wasn't the training banned because of the mental strain it eventually caused? There was that one dragon that went insane and kidnapped a princess, wasn't there? The fairy tales sure made a legendary icon out of that situation."

"I was the youngest in that troop, but I can't say my training worked. I was an empty strategist when the War of the Monster's Fall began, but my training unraveled after the Ancient Dragon incident. Even if I didn't participate, I didn't stop them either, so I felt a regret that I wasn't supposed to be capable of feeling. Either way, I'm glad they stopped training dragons for monster combat by suppressing emotions to prevent empowering them. How can one fight for righteousness without remembering the meaning of regret?"

"Stop right there, I really don't want to hear a justice speech right now, or ever actually. Go tell it to Amelia later, but not to me!" Zelas protested. A small moment of silence passed until she once again spoke. "If you're going to mope around about your first mistake in a thousand years, save the moping for when we play brass rackets after I'm back in my world celebrating my victory over Darkstar. I'll be looking forward to the banquet of misery then."

"I'm not going to mope. I still have to take care of my clan and I don't know what I'll say to Phythan, but he... He's always too forgiving." Somehow that worried Milgazia more so than encouraged him. "I need to go back and make sure no other portals that may open up are left unguarded. Although I'll stick around until you regroup with Lina and the others."

"Don't you dare imply that I'm not perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I've gotten the hang of my power now and I intend to use it. You do realize that if anything, all my experiences here will make me stronger as a monster, don't you?" Zelas inquired with an ominous and threatening tone.

"Yes, I'm aware of that and I intend to prepare for it," Milgazia replied.

"You and your three regrets better be ready!" Zelas warned.

"My three regrets?" Milgazia knew he didn't want to hear the answer to that question, but he had already asked it and he was pretty sure Zelas would be all too glad to answer it.

"The ancient dragon incident, allowing that human from Elmekia to marry Flagoon instead of doing it yourself and your careless mistake just now." Zelas smiled with mocking cheer.

"Not funny..." Milgazia frowned. 

Zelas laughed as if it was. "After studying your energy and recent reactions, I think I'll be a much better tormentor to you, or maybe it's more accurate to say I'll be much worse. However, there is something for which I must have your word of honor as a dragon elder, no not just that, as a living creature."

"My word?" Milgazia inquired in perplexity. He knew that meant she wanted him to promise something, but what could Beast Master possibly want from him so strongly? "I won't make any promises until I know what it is." He decided with caution.

"Fair enough, but I have a very strong feeling that you'll agree. About this whole... event." Zelas made sure her holographic projection was indeed solid before she began to unplug the cables from her systems, allowing them to recoil back into the panel on Milgazia's jet pack. "You must never, ever, under any circumstances breathe a word of it to Galathia." She unplugged the last cable and allowed Milgazia to retract it into his jetpack. "Her commentary would be... crude at best." 

Zelas shuddered, she could almost hear Galathia's voice in her head saying something along the lines of 'so he had his plug on your outlet, oh Lord Beast Master you naughty girl, tell me all about it!' If Galathia didn't have her amusing moments, such as when she creeped out Phythan, or Milgazia, but not herself, then Zelas would have killed her ages ago. But she was a rare minion, given her origins in the over-world, a collector's item of a minion in a sense.

"Then I'll have to kill her for her insolence and I'll be short one amusing minion and Phythan will never get caught in a hilarious game of unrequited rebound." Zelas continued her warning in full seriousness. "Then you'll get nightmares since sleep is destined to defeat your weak existence eventually. I'll have to give up on sleep entirely, because who ever heard of a monster lord having a nightmare, we're the protagonists of nightmares, and a self induced nap now and than is enjoyable when I'm in the mood for just a bit of sloth. And really, if I'm going to haunt you, I'd prefer my role to be something fierce, not what Galathia's completely insane and very improper, even by monster standards, imagination would cast me as."

Milgazia shuddered at the possibility of having to listen to one of Galathia's very improper and far too detailed rants from her very disturbing imagination. "I won't say anything to anyone; you have my word, a solemn promise never to be broken!"

"That's good to hear," Zelas decided it was time to end the topic there. "Now then, we are kind of in the middle of nowhere right now and I left Lina and the others a good distance away. However, there are some products I acquired during one of our stops to re-supply. These are some very peculiar products you might be interesting in seeing..."

xoxox xox xoxox

A few days after the battle with Nezard... "Don't be so lazy, Milgazia, it's time to duel!"

"As honored as I am that you have been allowing me to partake in the ever interesting challenge of measuring the power of my light-water dragon deck against your dark beast-fiend deck and enjoying the thrill of strategizing against your ever cunning mind-"

"Don't butter me up, out with it!" Zelas interrupted.

Taking a deep breath, Milgazia finished what he was trying to say. "I'm tired and all I really want to do is sleep... And shower, preferably with water that's not freezing cold." Sure, wiping the oil off his sore body was nice, but warm water would make it nicer. Actually, not being forced to play mechanic would be even better. He could manage with Zelas guiding him, but that didn't make the task any easier. He kept telling himself that it was for the good of the worlds that he had to do all he could to repair the dark lost ship.

"The water heater is broken," Zelas calmly stated.

Milgazia didn't argue about the lack of hot water and instead brought up another more important topic. "We did fix the coolant leak, didn't we? We spent a lot of time on that today, so I should be able to shower without suddenly being assaulted by blue coolant fluid, right?"

"Maybe..." Zelas gave him no certainty. "Go get cleaned up so you don't ruin your cards, we're dueling. But before that, grab the vacuum from the utility closet and clean up your machine oil tracks from the floor. I'll see you and your three regrets at the genuine Kaiba Corp. dueling arena I installed."

"Four..." Milgazia voiced quietly.

"Four?" Zelas questioned, "four what?"

"Regrets," Milgazia finished.

"The ancient dragons, Flagoon, Onyx..." Zelas recounted. "Did I miss something?"

"The dent that you're going to be getting revenge on for the rest of my existence," Milgazia supplied.

"You are quite right; I am indeed getting back at you for putting a dent on my otherwise flawless control panel for the rest of your existence. I'm glad to know you're so regretful. I didn't think that one ranked high enough despite its consequences. Now get your game on, we're dueling in five minutes!"

"Five..." Milgazia started walking to the shower, which he had no doubts would hold only icy cold water. "Five regrets, I should have never suggested watching those Kaiba Corp. documentaries about the lives of the king of games and the Duel Academy's top student..."

"Hurry up Milgazia!" Zelas called out. "I want to beat you quick so I can go watch Atlas Rising, the download just finished!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Xellos had established communications with Rufus Shinra, the one in charge of Shinra Inc. and the city of Edge. They inquired about the White Materia and where given several trouble contractor jobs that would eventually lead to receiving the legendary White Materia as payment for their services. Working alongside the Department of Administrative Research, alias Turks, they managed to complete one daring mission after another. Eventually, they were sent on a mission on their own, when Rufus, the president of Shinra, the corporation that dominated not only the city capital, Edge, but also the whole planet, decided that they had proven themselves well enough.

That final job they were to undertake before receiving their payment lead them to a factory on a small near by abandoned planet. The factory was used to create the energy charged jem-like substance known as materia by sinking into a glowing green radioactive lake known as life stream. However, the controls were compromised and the factory's rise was only for a short time, not enough to effectively gather all the materia inside. Those materia were not the legendary White Materia that they were looking for, but Rufus promised to hand it over if the mysterious group accomplished one last trouble contractor job for him. 

They were to go into the factory before it submerged and install a program on the main computer system to correct the problem that made it submerge so quickly as well as regain control of the security system. That was the catch, the security system would be hindering their advance and they would have only a small window of time to reach the main computer system, or else the factory would submerge and all those trapped in it will either die or lose their minds and then slowly die. Lina's response to that had been, "Other than the White Materia, add some good money and a grand meal waiting for us upon our return and you have a deal!" Thus the group ended up with a dangerous job that would hopefully be worth it.

However, before they could all head on out to the factory, a familiar lost ship docked at the Shinra Space Port and Xellos knew right away that, "Lord Beast Master is back!" Which he happily informed the group like a puppy who was all too overjoyed upon the return of his master. Curious about how things went for Zelas, the Slayers hurried to the space port, following the eager Xellos, who happily let himself into the systems of the Great Beast again. "I sense Beast Master's projection is this way." The holographic Xellos led the way to the dueling arena where Milgazia and Zelas were having a virtual card battle. Xellos was not happy to see the dragon elder. "Why is he here? Lord Beast Master!"

"Give me a moment, Xellos, and everyone. I'm about to win this duel," Zelas confidently stated. "I play the ritual spell card Resurrection of Chakra!"

"Not so fast, you've activated my trap, Solemn Judgment! Now by paying half my life points I can negate the activation of your Resurrection of Chakra." Milgazia announced as he flipped over a card on his side of the field.

"I guess that's not much, since you only have five hundred life points left. You're down to two hundred and fifty life points now!" Zelas threatened.

"That may be true, but your side of the field is empty," Milgazia argued back.

"And what do you have? A Baby Dragon? Big deal, besides, my side of the field won't be empty for long. I summon Witty Phantom in attack mode! Go Witty Phantom, attack Baby Dragon!" The hologram of Witty Phantom destroyed the Baby Dragon on Milgazia's side of the field and lowered his life points. "You only have fifty life points left, this duel is mine!"

"It's not over yet, I draw!" Milgazia drew a card from his deck and played it. "I summon Blizzard Dragon to the field. Go Blizzard Dragon, attack Witty Phantom!" With Blizzard Dragon's attack power being one thousand and eighteen hundred points, while Witty Phantom had one thousand and four hundred attack points, the dragon destroyed the fiend and the difference of four hundred was dealt as damage to Zelas' life points. "I place one card face down and end my turn. You only have five hundred life points remaining now!"

"That's ten times more life points than you, dragon boy. I draw!" Zelas drew another card from her deck and grinned. "I summon Bicorn Re'em in defense mode. I'll place one card face down and that's all for now. How lucky of you to have survived one more turn."

"It's not luck, it's skill!" The argument and situation wasn't exactly as diplomatic as things usually were with Milgazia, but those Kaiba Corp. shows were so catchy with the way duelists talked as they played. 'I'm protected by my Negate Attack trap card, but I only have fifty life points left, while Zelas has five hundred. Attacking Bicorn Re'em won't do any damage since it's in defense mode and I'll most likely trigger her trap. Yet if I don't attack, she'll probably sacrifice Bicorn Re'em to summon something stronger on her next turn and I don't have anything on my side of the field. Wait a minute... That's it! If my theory about her trap is right...' "I place one card face down in defense mode and activate Blizzard Dragon's special ability. Now your Bicorn Re'em is frozen in defense mode and won't be able to attack on the next turn. Go Blizzard Dragon, attack Bicorn Re'em!"

"I activate my trap card!" Zelas flipped over a card on her side of the field. "Mirror Force! All the monsters you have in attack mode are destroyed by this card, so it's goodbye for Blizzard Dragon! That was pretty foolish move on your part, surely you must have suspected my trap."

"I did suspect it, in fact, I knew. That's why I place my other monster face down. I just had to get rid of your trap somehow," Milgazia admitted. "I end my turn, it's your move."

"Getting rid of my trap by triggering it won't do you any good. Mirror force accomplished its purpose," Zelas assured as she drew her next card, then proceeded with her plans. "Now I sacrifice Bicorn Re'em to summon Blackwing Elphin the Raven in attack mode, attack the cowardly minion that's hiding face down!"

"I activate my trap card, Negate Attack! The battle phase is over for your turn."

"You're just barely holding on desperately," Zelas mocked. "Since I can't proceed with my attack, I end my turn."

Milgazia drew a card. "I sacrifice my face down card to summon-" 

The lights flickered and Zelas dropped her cards as her holographic projection lost its solid quality. The light came back on dimly, with Zelas and Xellos being left with a ghost-like appearance. Zelas tried to pick up her cards but realize she couldn't, thus the duel could not be finished. 

"You're working on auxiliary power, aren't you?" Milgazia realized. "I knew that main power cell wasn't completely fixed."

"Lost ships are rare and parts are hard to find, the fried engine cause a lot of trouble. Anyway, until I can find the right parts, probably have them custom made, I'll have to make do with the patch work. It's not a big deal, a strong lost ship such as myself will be just fine," Zelas disregarded it. 

"Clearly, you're still not used to having a physical form. You need to take better care of your vessel," Milgazia scolded.

"Who are you," Zelas huffed, "my mechanic?"

"I have been for the past few days," Milgazia pointed out.

"Alright that's it!" Xellos interrupted in a protective rage. "We're here now, so we will repair the Great Beast. You can keep your dirty dragon claws off Lord Beast Master's circuitry!"

To be Continued


	21. Chapter 21

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 061: Malice! Underhanded Tactics

With the Great Beast in need of abundant repairs and Xellos feeling even more impatient than Zelas herself, only Lina and Gourry went on the final trouble contractor mission for Shinra. Zelas had decided that she didn't need nor want the White Materia anymore, but she didn't want to reveal that detail to Lina until after her return. The dealings with Shinra would still be beneficial, as Zelas needed custom parts that Shinra could manufacture.

"Xellos... About her..." Filia was looking for the tool kit when she overheard a conversation between Zelas and Xellos. "I can't overlook this any longer, you'll have to do something, or I will get rid of her myself."

There was a long tense pause, during which Filia held her breath, until Xellos replied. "What if you had one of your own?"

"Not interested." The reply hung in the air for a few more moments until Zelas finished with a ray of hope in the shape of a nonchalant addition. "But if the one I get is better than yours..."

The conversation ended at that and the two holograms went their separate ways to continue working on the lost ship's repairs. After Zelas was gone, Filia rounded the hallway corner and looked at Xellos for a long moment. He tilted his head curiously and returned her gaze. "I heard," Filia dramatically revealed.

"You did?" Xellos didn't know what the big deal was. He didn't even realize Filia would be so concerned. Little did he know that she had completely misinterpreted the situation and was looking to get rid of her unless Xellos found her a dragon of her own.

The interpretation was crazy at best, but Filia was so worried she wasn't thinking. "Yes and I..." She didn't want to be kicked out, very much less killed, but she didn't want to trick Milgazia into anything either. Yet she couldn't think of any other dragons to 'sacrifice' to Zelas. "I don't know what to do," Filia admitted.

"Do what Beast Master tells you to do to repair the Great Beast," Xellos informed as a matter of fact. He studied Filia's face for a moment longer, taking note of her deep concern. "You're really that worried?"

"Of course I am!" Filia exclaimed.

"I'll think of something, just help out around here and do what Beast Master says," Xellos concluded. Filia nodded slowly and went on her way. Xellos watched her, wondering why she was so concerned about something so simple. He would have an interesting conversation with Filia about this later. Maybe he should do something for her too.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile Lina and Gourry waited for the factory on the small planet not too far from the main planet where Shinra was, to surface and grant them the opportunity to infiltrate it. When the metal structure surfaced upon the radioactive lake, the pair rushed in recklessly as they were known to. "Don't forget, Gourry, we only have a few minutes to beat this obstacle course and earn our banquet!"

"Right!" Gourry readied his psy-sword while Lina started shooting with her psy-gun. They charged deeper into the factory which had many bridges and doorways, the place was like a large maze. Battle androids charged the pair, their metal armor somewhat corroded from the exposure to the radioactivity. 

"Out of the way you rusty buckets of bolts!" Lina shot several of the androids, with Gourry chopping up the rest to pieces. The main problem wasn't the security system, it was getting through the maze factory fast enough to make it to the main control room and prevent it from submerging and trapping them inside. "Gourry, make way, I'll hold them off!"

"Got it!" Gourry focused on cutting through a wall at the end of a long hallway, while Lina blasted the androids that were after them. Yet more and more came from hidden compartments on the walls as if there was no end to them. "I'm through!" Gourry kicked the patch of wall down after having cut through it in a circle. Yet when it fell on the other side, he realized that it was too soon to celebrate their escape, as the bridge was out.

"Forward!" Lina recklessly rushed on, only to notice a second too late that the extendable thin metal bridge was not there. She hastily halted at the edge of the cut off platform and waved her arms around trying to regain her balance, until Gourry pulled her back by the waist. "That was close..." Lina looked down at the area below the missing bridge. A good amount of green radioactive fluid had accumulated below, the mechanism having failed to drain it from the factory. They were close to it, but as long as they didn't actually touch it, they would be alright. 

"We'll have to jump!" Gourry's idea seemed ridiculous to Lina. She couldn't use levitation, so how could they jump? Gourry dashed back, slicing away at more of the androids to make a path for himself. Then he dashed forward towards the missing bridge with all his speed. He picked up Lina at the edge of the platform, who yelped, as she thought the distance was too far to jump. Yet Gourry just barely made it across the dangerous distance to the other side.

"We... we actually made it!" Lina realized in surprise, willing her rapidly pounding heart to slow into a normal rhythm. "I didn't even know you could jump that far if you got a running start!"

"You always carry me with levitation, so that's not something I needed to do very often," Gourry admitted.

"It's good to know though, now let's go; we don't have a second to waste!" With Lina once again in the lead, the pair continued their rapid advance into the center of the factory. 

As they got ever closer to the central control room, the entire structure started to sink into the green radioactive lake. They hurried as much as they could, even if both Lina and Gourry were feeling the tiring effects of using their vital energy to fuel their psy-weapons so much without rest, all while running as fast as they could and leaping over various obstacles, dodging lasers and generally staying in survival mode. It was all very draining. A sound similar to water was heard as the green radioactive substance invaded the hallways with the descent of the factory into the life stream lake. The main control panel was in sight and all they had to do was plug in the USB-like data device Lina had obtained from Rufus to override the program and stop the factory from sinking. 

Unfortunately, the main computer was located on top of a platform and there was no time to make it up the stairs as the glass elevator was not operational. "Gourry, hold on to me!" Without questioning her logic, Gourry held on to Lina, who shot off a beam of psy-energy from her gun, using it to propel herself and Gourry up to the top of the platform. There she jammed the USB into the proper outlet and waited for an excruciatingly long second until the machine beeped in response and accepted the commands. 

The computer screen lit up with information that neither of them could really understand, but what they could perceive was the movement of the factory heading back to the surface of the lake, where it should stay until the command was manually imputed for it to go back down after the proper renovations were completed. As Lina felt faint, Gourry held her on her feet. "You still need to rest, your hair turned back to red just a few days ago."

Lina allowed herself to rest in Gourry's arms for a moment. The mission had been accomplished and now Zelas would obtain the White Materia and hopefully the advantage against the remaining enemy lost ships. "It's okay... I'll be fine." She closed her eyes, leaning against Gourry, she felt safe with him around regardless of their location.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, back at the Shinra space port where the Great Beast was undergoing repairs. Zelas' hologram returned to her vessel after having gone off to inform Rufus of her choice. She did not want the White Materia, which she had a feeling he didn't really want to give up. Complications on the negotiations didn't emerge as Zelas set the new terms and Rufus agreed to make the custom parts she needed for her ship. Thus the repairs were well on their way and it wouldn't be long before the Great Beast was fully operational.

Filia however, was still worried about Zelas kicking her out and perhaps stranding her in the over-world when they all went back. She could ask for Canal's assistance in going back to her own world, but being left behind wasn't her only concern. What if Zelas simply decided to destroy her? Lost ship or not, she was still a monster lord and she might grow tired of having a dragon so close to her only general priest. Yet the insane plan of getting Zelas a dragon of her own, whom Filia imagine she'd treat worse than a pet, as a lowly slave, was something that she couldn't bare to do. What was she suppose to do anyway? Walk right up to Milgazia and ask him to be Zelas' slave? No, she could never do that. She needed to talk to Xellos. He was always calm, but this time there was a certain air to him that made her feel that everything would really be okay. Yet Xellos had disappeared and was yet to return. "Xellos, where are you?" Filia shouted in frustration as she cleaned the machine oil off the floor. Couldn't those Shinra mechanics make less of a mess for her to clean? At least the one called Shera was neat, but the loud one called Cid left his oily foot prints all over the place as he fussed about the oh so amazing engineering of the lost ship. 

"I'm here," Xellos entered the area, startling Filia. He didn't just appear in his projection, as he needed to obey the laws of physics for the time being while he was carrying a solid item. Filia turned around to glare at Xellos, then stared at the item he was holding. It was a shopping bag of sorts. Whatever was in there, Filia couldn't think about how it would help the situation. 

Before the stressed cyborg could speak, Zelas' hologram projected herself next to them, curious about Xellos' arrival, as she had sensed him return. "What do you have there, Xellos?" She eyed the colorful shopping bag labeled with the name of Shinra Toys.

"It's a present for you, Lord Beast Master. Now that you have one of your own, maybe you'll consider letting me keep mine, if it's not too much trouble." Xellos requested respectfully, but with his usual smile still present.

"I'm starting to think that show is some overlord's evil plan to take over the over-world. It sure does have some peculiar brain washing qualities for something that pretends to be so innocent." Zelas mused. None the less, she wanted to know what particular character Xellos chose to bring her.

In another planet far away, a blond girl sneezed so softly behind her hastily positioned hand, that the sound could barely be identified as a sneeze. A blue haired boy blinked his red eyes at her, his antennae hair tilting with the curious movement of his head. The girl shook her head to indicate she had not really said anything and turned her attention back to the picture of ponies, unicorns and pegasus she was coloring. The boy moved his gaze back to the notebook on his lap and added a few more scribbles. He was the one who initiated the competition to try to take over a planet or two via brainwashing the citizens, yet it was becoming painfully obvious that she was loosing to her despite her cutesy methodology.

Back at the Great Beast, while Filia watched on quietly in confusion, Xellos pulled out a plush toy out of the bag. It was a near-blank dark violet colored alicorn, she was wearing dark armor and looked like the villain of some cutesy show. Filia thought she recognized her. "Nightmare Moon?"

"Surely you jest," Xellos gasped, visibly offended.

"Oh wait... That's not her. Princess Luna had a navy mane and tail and a moon symbol. This one has silvery hair and matching eyes. Her symbol is... a wolf?" Filia wondered who that alicorn character was. The plush doll was made in the style as the ones on that show Amelia got everyone to watch, but Filia didn't recognize the character.

"That's right, this one is custom made, because no other is good enough for Beast Master!" Xellos handed Zelas the plush in hopes that this would be enough for him to be allowed to keep his Twilight Sparkle plush.

"Well, I suppose since I have one of my own and I have come to realize that that show has to be much more evil than I gave it credit for, I'll let you keep your Twilight Sparkle and I'll keep my much cooler custom made Fiery Beast, aka Zeze," thus the original character was named. As she was now carrying a physical item, rather than disappearing, Zelas exited via the door. She stopped at the doorway to the next area of the lost ship and looked back for a moment. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Filia, but it's a good thing that you're working so desperately, I'm glad you've learned your place." Then she left.

Filia felt herself twitch. That's what this was all about? Zelas wasn't threatening to get rid of her; she had been threatening to get rid of Xellos' Twilight Sparkle plush. All that work and she was never actually in any danger, all that plotting and guilt tripping herself for even considering plotting trickery on Milgazia and it was all for nothing. The 'one of her own' that would be needed to appease Zelas wasn't a dragon, it was only a toy. Filia was just about ready to blow up and scream Xellos' head off. Yet when she face him, she found herself looking into the sweet face of Fluttershy.

"Since you're being so helpful and wanted to protect my Twilight Sparkle, I got you one too. It's not a fancy custom made plush doll like the one I got for Beast Master, cause you know, you're just a useless lowly dragon. But here, this regular one should be good enough for you. You're both yellow wimps, so I thought you might like her." With his usual teasing insults and his cheerful expression in place, Xellos gave Filia the Fluttershy plush doll. Despite all he said, Filia had long since learned that it was just Xellos special way to be sweet. The dragon turned cyborg hugged the soft plush and smiled happily, her anger forgotten.

xoxox xox xoxox

With the repairs to the Great Beast complete, after enjoying a big banquet on Rufus' account, Zelas, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Xellos, Filia and Milgazia headed out into space, off to face their next challenge. Though Lina was disappointed at first that Zelas had refused the legendary White Materia she was so intent on obtaining before, their trouble contractor labor didn't go to waste, as Zelas obtained the vital custom made spare parts she needed for her vessel and Lina got her food, so it was all good.

Their next challenge found them sooner than expected as they had only been traveling in space for a few hours when the radars picked up two lost ship signals and neither of them was the Swordbreaker. "Incoming!" Zelas announced, "Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis are rapidly approaching, to your battle stations everyone!"

"Can we really take them on at the same time?" Lina seriously asked. "I've recovered after that meal and nap, but..."

"I'm stronger now," Zelas assured. "I will win." The crew knew that given their current situation as the two minions of Darkstar surrounded them, they had no choice but to believe her. "The main psy-cannon is ready! Xellos, load the energy filter program."

"Loading! Twenty-two percent, thirty-five percent, fifty-seven percent, eighty-three percent, done!" Xellos cheerfully announced. Then he took a moment to think about what the program was like. "Lord Beast Master?"

"It will be enough, commence energy absorption, from the whole crew..." As a monster, Zelas could feed from multiple sources by herself, so she had been trying to surpass the limits on her lost ship form. "Don't be lazy, Milgazia, you too."

"But if we all send our energy at the same time, wouldn't it cause an overload?" Milgazia pointed out.

"Lina's got wrath to go around, I'll keep that and filter out the courage, I'll defend and fight all at once. Xellos, speed up the CPU!" Zelas ordered.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Xellos chirped with admiration, eager to see Zelas in action. 

The enemy ships shot a multitude of missiles and beams of dark light, which Zelas easily shielded from. Her main psy-cannon fired twice, dividing the accumulated power equally between the two shots. Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis were hit dead on, their shields unable to prevent the attack. "Right on target, one more hit for each and they're going down!"

"That training really paid off," Amelia commented in surprise. She was sure she was giving off the energy of courageous justice, but Zelas didn't seem to be bothered by it. Those beams of light psy-energy she shot were certainly impressive. The princess' eyes shone brightly in awe. "It seems you've conquered the obstacles that lay in your way and now we are all truly ready to face the challenges that lay ahead!"

Of course, it couldn't be that simple. As Zelas prepared her main psy-cannon for a second succession of shots, dark shields once against surrounded the enemy ships, different from the system generated ones they had before. Ghostly voices floated about from the digital waves, making pained threats at the fiends that have stolen them from their world. "Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis have captured captains!" Milgazia realized. He wasn't going to allow another to perish that way, never again. "Zelas, you can't destroy them, only disable them so we can save the people trapped inside!"

"You're not in charge here, dragon boy!" Zelas ignored him and continued charging the blast, despite the additional protests of Amelia and Filia, who were soon joined by Zelgadis, while Gourry was too confused to comment on the situation. 

Lina was quiet and pale. At first Gourry thought she was suffering from exhaustion still and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a concerned look. "Are you feeling tired, Lina?"

Her hair was as much of a brilliant red as ever, which only made the sudden drain of color on her face all the more apparent. She slowly shook her head, her body trembling with each ghostly echo of the trapped humans forced to captain the enemy ships. They captained them as true dark lost ships, trapped in endless nightmares, in a coma they could not awaken from on their own. Yet even then they fought, trying not to fear, not to feed their terrible captors. "Stop..." Lina's voice was a choked whisper at first, as she could hardly force her throat to produce any sounds at all. She swallowed dryly and took in a shallow breath, "stop..." She gasped and strained for her quiet voice to be heard against the painful constraint of her throat. "Stop it! Let them go!" A wave of fear and anger erupted from Lina.

The negative energy revitalized Zelas, but it also dissolved the positive energy she was grasping in order to shot her main psy-cannon again. "That felt good!" The monster lord turned AI couldn't help it but to admit it. "But this type of energy won't work against the enemy. Such great sorrow, such anger, such fear..." This wasn't normal for Lina Inverse even in a hostage situation. "I didn't realize you had it in you, Lina. I've already hit them with courage once, they are exposed, they won't be able to absorb this much darkness and the prospect of beating the enemy with my own element rather than a borrowed one is quite pleasant."

"Just enough to disable them, just enough..." Lina chanted feverishly.

"You know them, don't you?" Xellos realized. "You know the people that Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis have captured."

Lina nodded, her whole body shaking with concern. Her voice came in a whisper as she revealed who she had recognized them to be. "My parents..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 062: Wild! The Berserk Beast

"Just enough... just enough..." Lina chanted feverishly as she thought about rescuing her parents from Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis.

"Just enough?" Zelas huffed. "With how afraid you are of losing them, this blast will be nutritious to the enemy, overloading them with power isn't the same as causing damage with the type of energy they're weak to. You need not hold back."

"Right, but it won't be with fear, let my wrath free them!" Lina yelled.

"It's over!" Zelas declared threateningly.

"Wait, stop! What if the hostages are used as shields? All this negative energy could shatter their very spirits, their souls!" Milgazia cautioned with urgency.

"No!" Lina yelped. She tried to withdraw her energy into herself, a very difficult task given her outgoing nature. She couldn't do it. "Stop, Zelas! Stop! You've used me as your pawn and I stood for it, but if you do this it makes us enemies! Stop!"

Something snapped in Zelas and the Great Beast was surrounded by dark energy. "You dare to order me around, you lowly human?" Several compartments opened from the walls of the control room with a multitude of long thin, but strong, metal claws. The mechanisms reached for the crew of the Greater Beast, detaining all of them save for Xellos. "Maybe it will be best if I feed from you directly after all, I am a dark lost ship, this is how it's supposed to be!" Circlets connected to wires wrapped themselves around the foreheads of Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Milgazia while they struggled against their bounds.

"Lord Beast Master?" Xellos intoned with confusion. This wasn't a part of the original plan. To push the pawns this hard might be too much and it was his understanding that Zelas wanted to use Lina and the others to benefit from them, not to break them, not to kill them. 

"Quiet Xellos, do not dare to question me!" Zelas growled harshly, her eyes glowing red.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master..." Xellos backed down, at a loss of what to do.

"You traitorous monster, you won't get away with this!" Lina yelled as she trashed about.

"The power of justice will find you!" Amelia helplessly threatened.

"Xellos!" Filia called out, "Xellos, do something, at least say something!"

"Something..." Xellos voiced automatically, though it lacked the cheer that such a cliche joke would normally carry coming from him.

"Quiet, Xellos, I will not warn you again!" Zelas snapped.

The purple haired hologram was confused beyond belief. Beast Master was very different all of a sudden. Earlier she seemed comfortable enough showing her playful carefree side and now this. What was going on. "My apologies, Lord Beast Master; I await your orders."

"Increase the energy consumption rate, we must act fast, the enemies are rapidly repairing themselves as we speak!" Zelas ordered.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," Xellos did so, but not to an extent that would cause serious damage to their crew turned prisoners. 

"I won't stand for this!" Milgazia dared to shoot a laser aimed at the controls, though the claws that detained him pulled him back and made the angle miss the target. Though Zelas attempted to block it in a useless automatic reaction of her clouded mind, her holographic projection flickered and the laser went clear through her body. The shot meant for the controls instead hit the screen, shattering it. The Great Beast's defenses were on her outer armor, thus the interior, especially the complex control room, could be damaged with relative ease. 

"You'll pay for that, Milgazia!" Electricity surged through the claws that held him captive, paralyzing the cyborg. His jet pack came out involuntarily, ripping his clothes and producing sparks of short circuited electricity. The claws that emerged from the walls lashed on to the jet pack, sinking into it like knives and pulling at it until it came clean off. A mess of ripped wires, metal and blood was all that was left in its place. Another surge of electricity coursed painfully through Milgazia's body and he found himself unable to move even a little.

"Milgazia!" Filia screamed before she could stop herself. She could never quietly witness such cruelty. What if he couldn't be repaired? What if when he returned to their world he was left without wings? What if he couldn't even walk? What if he died there and then? "Why... Why did you do that to him? Even if he's a dragon elder, he swallowed his pride, endangered his position and helped you, didn't he?"

"I am not a tool to be used to save the world," Zelas growled ominously. "You, useless dragon girl, are also an unneeded burden!" 

"Lord Beast Master?" Xellos whispered unsure.

"I warned you, Xellos!" Electricity course through the Great Beast as Xellos' consciousness was locked away within it systems and Zelas started a process of deletion.

"Lord Beast Master!" Xellos exclaimed in pained shock. He resisted the deletion with all his might, transferring his data from one area of the spacious system to another. 

"I have no need for a servant who doesn't follow orders," Zelas coldly voiced. A sudden wave of missiles assaulted her vessel as Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis recovered from the earlier attack. Galveira's black and red ship moved closer with the black and purple form of Ragudo Mezegis moving to circle the Great Beast and attack her from the other side. Simultaneously, Xellos found himself cornered within the Great Beast's systems, then suddenly, a white lost ship emerged from a light speed jump.

The Swordbreaker arrived so close to the action, that the three dark lost ships were shaken by the energy waves of the jump's aftershock. "Zelas!" Canal's voice was heard through the communication link she hastily opened, her face not visible due to the broken screen. "What happened? I don't detect the-" her voice was suddenly cut off by a yelp. "What?!" Then the communication link was closed and the lost ship of light focused on trying to fight off Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis. 

"Be gone, Swordbreaker, this is my fight!" Zelas growled, reopening the communication link between herself and Canal's vessel.

"You're going to get yourself destroyed!" Canal shouted. "What are you thinking? You were trying to delete Xellos; you wanted to destroy your closest and most loyal ally!"

"Xellos? Xellos?!" Zelas screamed. "I know no Xellos!" More electricity coursed through the Great Beast as she launched all her missiles at once. The Swordbreaker had no choice but to set its shield to maximum and defend.

The mysterious device they had previously found amongst asteroids and still resided in their cargo activated as if sensing the danger all around. It pulsated with a strong vibration that momentarily disabled the three dark lost ships, but not the Swordbreaker. "We'd best retreat while we can," Kain decided. "We can't reason with Zelas and deal with Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis at the same time!"

"Right!" Canal hooked a few strong cables to Zelas and calculated a light speed jump. "We're out of here!"

xoxox xox xoxox

After Canal emerged in a far away location, along with Zelas, the Great Beast started to react again. She attempted to shoot missiles, but had already used them all. The communication link between the Great Beast and the Swordbreaker was reopened. "Zelas, please listen to me!" Canal pleaded. She revealed the reason for which she rushed to the last location she had detected Zelas in and found her not too far away. "Why did you remove the protection program I gave you against Darkstar? Don't you see he's influencing you?"

"Darkstar has no power over me; you have no power over me!" Zelas growled threateningly. Her holographic projection flickered and where there once stood an elegant woman, there instead was what could only be described as a werewolf, a strange cross between a human and beast appearance, but with a much more threatening feel. Her red eyes radiated anger, long white fangs and claws showing.

"Lord Beast Master!" Xellos called out desperately. When Canal had opened a communication link with Zelas earlier, he used it to force his way into the Swordbreaker abruptly with the viral qualities of his programming, without even having a second to spare to explain to Canal why he needed the sanctuary of her systems all of a sudden, yet it became apparent soon, as Zelas almost deleted him. 

"Xellos, what are you doing? Don't return to the Great Beast!" Canal warned, but it was too late. 

Xellos had already transferred his vital data back to the Great Beast. "Lord Beast Master!"

"Traitorous servant, you deserve to be destroyed!" Zelas' voice echoed through the communication channels in resounding digital waves.

"Lord Beast Master... This isn't Darkstar; you're too strong to be controlled by him. I don't know what this is, but you don't need that program from Canal, this is... It's you, isn't it? It's just like the story you told me. You're the Beast Master, that's who you've become. You're no longer the Berserk Beast. Return, Beast Master, return to your true self!" Xellos felt his data, his very life in Zelas' grasp. If he was deleted, it would be the same as being ruined, the permanent death of a monster. "I won't run away. You can destroy me if that will restore you, that's what I was created for, right? To serve you... But also, I'm here because I chose to be."

A long second passed, and then two. Xellos felt Zelas' digital grip loosen around his data and the deletion command was aborted. The hologram returned to its normal projection with a flicker and dimmed as Zelas' ghostly form blinked slowly with unfocused silver eyes. "Xellos, take over the Great Beast, I must sleep." As Zelas' projection faded away, her AI was locked in a deep slumber and Xellos was left in full control of the Great Beast's every function. 

Xellos released the crew from the painful claws that held them tightly and they crumpled to the floor limply, still painfully conscious, yet unable to move or even muster the strain to speak. There were several bruises, cuts and burns all over their bodies, but they were not too serious, except for Milgazia, who was much worse off. He lay in a pull of blood mixed with machine fluid. Xellos carefully moved the Great Beast closer to the Swordbreaker and opened a hatch. "Everyone, board, the crew here needs medical attention."

Canal woke from her fearful shock, "Right..." She stammered, taking in a breath. "Kain, Millie, get the medical supplies, Xellos is in control now and Zelas has willingly placed herself in a lockdown, so it should be alright." Shocked into a tense silence, Kain and Millie could only nod and hastily move out.

xoxox xox xoxox

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a dark lost ship doesn't have a proper infirmary," Millie commented a few hours after the ordeal had ended. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Milgazia were resting. "At least the rooms are comfortable enough, everyone should be able to rest in their rooms." She looked at Kain as they headed back to the control room after tending to the crew. "Milgazia was injured really badly, I wish I had studied more about cyborgs, then I would be the best in the universe and I could help him."

"You'd have to know about both medicine and machines to heal a cyborg," Kain pointed out. "Especially one with a damaged spine. It also looked like some mechanisms deeper in were damaged pretty badly," the trouble contractor frowned.

Millie sighed helplessly. "To be honest, I don't think any of us can help him, even if we watch all the cyborg repair tutorials You Tube has to offer." For Millie to admit not being able to do something, the situation would have to be very bad.

Kain and Millie arrived at the Great Beast's control room where Xellos and Canal had managed to repair the screen, replacing it with a new one and had just completed some tests. "You were right," Canal admitted as the results came on the screen. "Darkstar prays on the confusion, fear of the unknown, fear of being destroyed and the general uneasiness that is understandable to have, given the situation the monster lords were thrown into upon their first arrival in this world, but Zelas had indeed already overcome all of that. She isn't intimidated by the differences between her previous form and her current one, she knows of the danger around her, but she doesn't fear it. Darkstar won't be able to absorb her power as long as she remains firmly in that mind frame. However, if she is captured and the metal of the Great Beast melted into Dugradigdu, it will only be a matter of time before she gives up. It would be that or remain forever as Darkstar's prisoner, because this time, I won't be able to stand against him alone. Zelas needs to sort things out and fight alongside the Swordbreaker."

"It wasn't Darkstar?" Kain and Millie had entered the control room on time to catch Canal's conclusion, which left them wondering about what really happened. "Then why did Zelas do all this? Even if she is a monster lord, it wasn't in her best interest to attack her allies."

"That's right, it makes no sense," Millie added. "Even if she's really evil, we all know she wants to get revenge on Darkstar, so if she planned to hurt Lina and the others, wouldn't she wait until Darkstar is defeated?"

"Yes," Xellos stated and with certainty he added. "And even after Darkstar is defeated, Lord Beast Master will not bring harm to Lina Inverse and her companions unless they openly defy her. They are very useful pawns and Lord Beast Master will not waste such resources. I dare say that she would even protect them if the need arose, for her own purposes of course, but still."

"So she wasn't being controlled by Darkstar, but she was doing things she wouldn't normally do," Canal summed up. "You sound like you know the cause, Xellos."

"I have a very good idea," Xellos agreed. "Lord Beast Master once told me a story that took place before I came into existence. Ruby Eyes Shabranigdu and Flare Dragon Ceifeed were still around at the time, and the monster lords were still quite young. Back then, Beast Master was known as Berserk Beast, and according to her story, the name fit her rather well. She told me all the details." Yet those were details that Xellos wouldn't share with anyone beyond what he deemed necessary. "The point is that she eventually tamed her own power, her wild side, and became the calm, composed, cunning and plotting leader I've always known her to be. I never thought she would go back to that, but I'm fairly certain that is what happened. That is why she locked herself away temporarily of her own free will. I'm sure she must be in deep thought within her dormant state, sorting things out and regaining firm control over her power. This will not happen again."

A long silent pause passed until Canal let out a breath and began to speak in a gentle voice. "Xellos, I know you deeply admire Beast Master and respect her greatly, but please do not forget that she is a living creature. Even if she is now a lost ship, a machine like me, she is still sentient. As a sentient living creature, she has tensions to carry and those tensions can become overwhelming."

Xellos wouldn't tolerate any kind of critiques towards Beast Master, even if they were not meant to be taken as criticism. "You mean like when Vorfeed passed on her duties to you because she couldn't handle them herself?" He retorted sharply.

Canal frowned, but mentally counted to ten and stopped herself from following on with the argument. "Yes," she stated dryly.

"Lord Beast Master is stronger than that," Xellos affirmed. "She does not have the mental weakness Vorfeed does."

Kain saw Canal clench her teeth and fists, her holographic form almost giving off sparks. It was time to step in. "Regardless, let's focus on the present. Zelas is in a sort of sleep mode right now and you are in control of the Great Beast, Xellos. However, you had in the past done the task of boosting Zelas' processing speed. That power boost won't be available now and since you're not the main AI of this vessel, it might be a bit of a strain to process all of its combat capabilities alone."

Xellos' expression remained cheery from the nose up, but below his closed eyes, his smile twitched, proving that it was false. Millie thought it best to intervene. "What Kain is trying to say is that Zelas probably wants to be present and conscious to get revenge on Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis, so perhaps it would be best to wait until she awakens before going after them."

Xellos mused on it for a moment before agreeing with relative promptness. "Yes, I'm also glad it has been established who will go after them."

"I figured you'd want revenge," Millie voiced.

"Well, the self repair systems of the Great Beast are operational. The battle damage from that last encounter wasn't all that bad." Having calmed down, Canal informed them of her diagnosis. "Give the self repair a little more time and the ship will be as good as new."

"I can't say the same about the crew though." Kain brought up the inevitable news. "Most of them only suffered superficial physical injuries, but being exposed to having their minds fed on by a dark lost ship, one that's supposed to be their ally, isn't something they'll forget any time soon. I cannot say how much negativity they had to withstand, but it surely caused a great mental strain, from which they will need time to recover. Then there's Milgazia..."

"His injuries were by far the worse," Millie continued. "I couldn't figure out how to get his jetpack back on. His biological side heals remarkably fast, but the skin on his back healed over some circuitry and got it all out of place, it's a mess of melted ripped wires and skin trying against all odds to seal the wounds and it's not pretty. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can reconnect the jet pack to his nervous system and repair his spine. You'll have to take him to a specialist and hope that at least some partial repairs can be done."

Xellos scuffed, "I never liked him anyway, having all those diplomatic meetings with Lord Beast Master," he pouted. Millie blinked; she didn't understand why diplomatic meetings would be bad, though she supposed that it all depended on their contents. "I'll let him rest for now and let Beast Master decide what to do with him later, it's not like he's in mortal danger anyway," Xellos decided. "He did attack Lord Beast Master though, so he could be when she wakes up. Well I'm sure you're all very tired, so I won't keep you up any longer, have a pleasant evening." It was a rather direct indirect way to tell them to leave.

Millie exchanged worried looks with Canal, but it was surprisingly Kain who placed a hand on each of their shoulders to stop them from protesting. "Zelas has a lot of pride, doesn't she?"

"Naturally," Xellos replied with a curious look about why Kain would suddenly feel the need to state the obvious.

"Then she won't harm Milgazia, because if she wanted to, it would have to be on her full senses. Something that happened while she was... berserk... will not count for her," Kain stated with certainty.

"I suppose we'll see," Xellos had to admit in the privacy of his own mind that Kain did have a point and Milgazia would most likely be left alive, unfortunately from the general priest's point of view. Though he couldn't precise when he started to dislike Milgazia so much, even after that stunt he pulled with Flagoon all those years ago, the anger faded in time and they only shared a mutual disdain for each other's kind that was natural and expected, or so they had believed. Xellos supposed that there really was not that much wrong with Zelas playing diplomat with a dragon, his fears, as well as his misunderstanding the previous year, were ridiculous at best, or so he told himself. Thus Xellos decided not to interfere so much anymore, unless of course Zelas told him to.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 063: Engineer! The Awakening Of The Beast

Though Xellos was on high alert by the recent happenings and Beast Master's dormant state, he still wanted to keep the independence Zelas wanted for herself and her crew. Yet when it came down to it, he knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis alone if they came after him. Albeit Zelas had previously taken a moment to share her findings and Xellos was confident that he too could recreate her energy techniques, it would still be at a lesser scale. Besides, he wouldn't be able to count on the crew's energy, weakened as they were left. Thus he felt it wise to stay close to the Swordbreaker, while making sure the Great Beast led the way. Canal decided not to question his logic and simply followed him, stopping at a near by planet.

The planet was about half city and half farmlands with a very marked distinction between the two areas. It wasn't as technologically advanced as other planets at a glance, but if one was to look deeper, beyond the rugged exterior of the antique buildings, there was a place that rightfully earned its name as a cyborg's paradise. The best engineers and doctors lived there, constantly conducting research and coming up with new advancements. The technological aspect of the planet meant that it had good defenses that would make the presence of enemies obvious as well as detain them should Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis track them down. The farm areas would provide a place to land away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the opportunity to remain hidden and hopefully undisturbed.

The Great Beast and the Swordbreaker both landed on a vast grassy field next to a farming area. The farm wasn't particularly large in terms of the area that was planted, but the endless stretches of land around it were certainly sizeable. In the far off distance an antique looking locomotive passed by with hidden advanced technology, while maintaining its classic nostalgic appearance on the outside. Maybe it was all part of a sort of tourist attraction where the beginning of technological development co-existed with its peak. Across the grassy fields there was a small house, which was indeed inhabited as Xellos soon noticed when a human girl, whose blond hair, blue eyes and fearless expression reminded him of Filia, approached the ships.

The young woman stood in front of the ships with her hands on her hips and a pout upon her face, paired with a warning glare. Xellos simply projected himself just outside of the dark lost ship without the need to open the hatch to let himself out. "Good afternoon, miss," he greeted politely.

"Oh, good afternoon," the girl lost her pout and instead put on a pleasant, yet business-like expression. "Are you in need of a mechanic perhaps? I would be glad to offer my services..." She turned her head towards the Swordbreaker where the hatch had been opened and Kain and Millie were stepping out along with Canal's holographic projection. "If your payments are not as late as Kain's!" She finished.

Kain laughed nervously and placed one hand behind his head, carrying a small box on the other. "Go easy on us Winry, when have we ever let you down? Here's your payment." He gave her the box.

The young woman called Winry snatched away the box, her eyes shining with anticipation. She slowly lifted the lid, savoring the moment. Her whole face lit up with bliss when she got a good look at what was inside. Curious to see what made her appear so overjoyed; Xellos stepped over next to her and peeked inside the box. The inside of the box was padded with plastic that held carved outlines in the shape of forty tiny letter Us. Within the U shaped outlines there rested little wires that shone in a silvery prism color, reflecting the light in more colors than what anyone would guess the tiny things could. "Wires? You're this happy about a bunch of little wires?"

Winry snapped the box shut and held it close protectively. "These are no ordinary wires; they are extremely rare nerve connectors!"

"Ah, I see, then you are one of the cyborg engineers of this planet. I thought they were all in the city," Xellos noted.

"You mean Kain brought you here without even telling you whose backyard you were going to land on?" Winry shook her head as if silently saying 'typical Kain.' "In that case, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Winry Rockbell and as you've correctly concluded, I'm a cyborg engineer, though I also like to tinker with space ships and other technological devices."

Canal discreetly stepped over next to Xellos and whispered to him. "You should watch out or she'll take the Great Beast apart and put it back together before you know it and I don't think Zelas will call that taking good care of her vessel during her nap."

"I heard that!" Winry protested. "Speaking of which, how are the upgrades holding up?"

"I can't complain," Canal admitted.

"You see? I can be trusted!" Winry grinned victoriously. "So Millie, have you learned any new recipes? You promised to give me a cooking lesson, remember?"

"As a matter of fact, I was able to pick up a few new delicious recipes recently," Millie proudly declared.

"Really? By all means, show me!" Winry happily exclaimed. "Let's all have a feast tonight to celebrate Kain finally keeping his word and delivering my payment at last! I'm sure granny will be glad to see you guys again. Ed and Al are away in the city, but you know how they are, always running around on business. By the way..." Winry at last realized something she had forgotten to inquire about in her excitement. "That new ship, what is it called? Are you all its crew? What's your name?"

"Ah, so you finally decided to ask, it's a bit rude not to, don't you think?" Xellos chuckled, shaking his finger at Winry, who pouted in response. He laughed as the group walked to Winry's house. "You really do remind me of Filia, a Filia who likes machines instead of maces and vases."

Winry blinked, "maces and vases?" The two seemed very unrelated from her point of view. Like a bull in a china shop or something like that. 

"Yes," Xellos grinned some more.

"His wife makes pottery and melee weapons for a living, so if you remind him of her I guess that means you're cool in his book," Millie supplied.

Winry giggled, realizing that Xellos was just teasing her before. He did seem like kind of a jokester. "Filia sounds interesting."

"You can meet her later. To answer your other question, I'm not in the Great Beast alone. I'm sure you already noticed I'm a hologram, given my entrance a bit earlier." Winry nodded and Xellos continued. "Well, I'm currently the acting main AI of the Great Beast, normally I'm the secondary AI, but Beast Master Zelas Metallium is a bit busy with her plotting and planning deep within the system, so she might not join us for a while. The rest of the crew might, especially Lina and Gourry when they hear there's going to be food. I'm sure Amelia and Zelgadis will want a bite too, Filia as well, and Milgazia... If he manages to get up and walk over here that is."

"Which makes it very convenient that we're here," Canal admitted.

"Ah, I knew you needed something," Winry nodded to herself knowingly.

"Come now Canal, let's not trouble our kind host," Xellos interjected. Let's get better acquainted first and then we'll discuss business... if necessary." He eyed Canal suspiciously, as he thought he was leading the way, but it seemed that somehow she ended up leading him to that planet after all. Canal made no visible acknowledgement of the look Xellos gave her, though she was well aware of it.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at the Rockbell house, granny Rockbell realized what a grave mistake she had made when the crew of the Great Beast awoke and joined them, by telling them to eat as much as they want. Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev could certainly eat, the others had healthy appetites too but those two took the cake, soon to become a literal saying. Kain could eat plenty as well, but he was still not as much of a big eater as Gourry and the surprisingly petite Lina. Granny never thought someone so small could eat so much, all while muttering between bites something about needing the energy for an upcoming rescue mission. While granny and Millie struggled to keep the dishes going, Winry decided to have a curious look at that new lost ship. 

The cyborg specialist found the hatch that led inside the dark lost ship had been left open and curiously wandered in. "Hello," Xellos greeted with a smile, appearing right in front of her.

Winry jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. "Oh... Hi, Xellos."

"I thought you might come here soon," Xellos stated, his usual cheery mask intact. "Especially after what Filia told you in secret when she thought I couldn't hear."

"Filia has a kind heart, I can tell," Winry stated. "She's worried about your friend Milgazia, the one who stayed behind at the ship because he wasn't well enough to move yet. The truth is I can't see a damaged cyborg and leave him. Let me have a look at his injury, I'm sure I can do something to help."

"His fate is for Beast Master to decide," Xellos stated with finality. "I have decided that I will not try to sway her judgment, but it is still her choice to make."

Winry frowned, "but she's sleeping and time is passing. When it comes to creatures that are part mechanical and part biological, it is best to act fast, it is vital to act fast," she emphasized. "If his bio components heal inconveniently around the damaged circuitry, it'll be that much harder to repair him. The malfunctioning damaged mechanical parts may cause further damage to his biological body and as it tries to heal around defective technological components that are not properly functioning, his biological side may further damage them too. Cyborgs are tough, stronger than any human, but when they do get hurt, seriously hurt beyond what the self repair components can fix, they need the proper attention to heal the way they're supposed to."

"I stand by what I said..." Xellos simply stated. Winry placed her hands on her hips, then noticed that Xellos' gaze had suddenly moved to the source of the footsteps on the entry ramp just behind her. The footsteps stopped next to the engineer and Filia adopted an identical posture, with her hands on her hips. "You two really do look alike when you stand like that." Xellos observed with a joking tone that didn't really fit the situation.

"Don't be stubborn Xellos," Filia glared. "Let's go, Winry." The golden dragon turned cyborg made her way past Xellos and deeper into the vessel muttering something about clingy overprotective sons that made Xellos twitch slightly. 

To the purple haired hologram's surprise, Filia led Winry to the Great Beast's control room, rather than the room where Milgazia was resting. "I know it must be difficult for dumb blonds to find their way in advance lost ships like this, but the other dumb blond of our group, and I don't mean Gourry, is resting in that direction." He pointed towards the hallways that led to Milgazia's room.

Filia and Winry gave him dual glares, threw their heads back with a "hmp!" And Filia dared to point out, "Beast Master's been a platinum blond before and silver hair can be considered a shade of blond by some."

"That's different..." Xellos pouted, having his own comment used against him. Winry ran a hand on top of the control panel of the Great Beast with Xellos worriedly hovering around her. "What do you intend to do?" He intoned in warning, his fierce amethyst eyes opening momentarily in a thinly veiled threat.

"First of all," Winry frowned as she found an uneven area on the control panel. "I'm going to fix this dent. Such a majestic lost ship as this one should not be marred in such a way."

"Ah yes, that was never fixed before... But I can't seem to remember how it got there," Xellos mused. The dent wasn't there when Zelas left them at Edge and then it was when she returned with Milgazia. Logically, the cause of it must have occurred in-between those time frames, but Zelas never got around to revealing it and there were more pressing matters to ten to at the time. "Alright then, fix it." Xellos nodded cheerfully, yet once again his face morphed into something that did indeed look like a monster, "but don't mess anything up!" Just as quickly he was cheery once more, "be careful, okay?"

With the raise of a curious eyebrow Winry nodded, "right..." She pulled out a capsule from her pocket, with the logo 'CC' and expanded it into a tool kit. Many of the tools there were labeled 'CC' or 'SI,' having been imported from Capsule Corporation and Shinra Incorporated respectively. The job was done swiftly and with no set backs. "There now, the control panel is nice and smooth... Time to try it out!" Winry began to rapidly type commands that Filia blinked at, not recognizing the codes. This must be how humans felt when they saw dragon script and couldn't read it. 

Xellos' image faded from his holographic projection and appeared on the screen. "Oh no you don't. I see what you're doing. You want to disturb Lord Beast Master from her nap. Don't you know you're not supposed to wake a beast unless you want to get eaten?"

"Too late, Xellos, I am awake." Zelas projected her holographic form on the control room next to Filia and Winry.

Xellos returned to his holographic form as well, appearing beside Zelas. "Have you completed what you were doing, Lord Beast Master?"

"Subconscious meditation gets boring after a while, I'm ready to do something else," Zelas stated. "Oh, what's this?" She ran her solid hologram hand over the control panel. "The dent is fixed and I see there's a new screen as well, I vaguely recall the old one being broken."

"The screen was Milgazia's fault," Xellos pouted.

"And the dent too," Zelas recalled.

"What?!" Xellos angrily exclaimed.

"But I think I got back at him sufficiently, intentionally or not." Zelas mused about the vague recollection she held about ripping Milgazia's jet pack off. "Remind me, Filia, you were watching, weren't you? Did his spine come out of his back or does he still have it?"

Filia shuddered at the brutal possibility and backed away. "He... has it... And I would very much prefer if you let him keep it... please."

"Someone has turned meek and scared while I slept," Zelas teased. "Ah, I guess I left an impression didn't I? Well, it is to be expected, I am a monster lord after all. Either way, that's enough of catching up, on to the current business. Who might you be, young lady?"

Winry had been listening and staring in wonderment. So this was what a dark lost ship was like. She lacked Canal's friendly disposition and willingness to do good. Although the white lost ship also had a selfish side that wanted to spend only on upgrading her ship and budgeted every other aspect of the crew's expenses. Yet that only further proved Canal's status as a truly sentient being. The same could be said about Zelas' joking attitude towards matters that from the other's perspectives were certainly no joke, but at least she wasn't all doom and gloom. "My name is Winry Rockbell," she introduced herself. "I'm a cyborg engineer specialist and I'm the one who fixed the dent. I don't know how they could have ignored that. It didn't prevent any of the ship's functionalities, but still, it shouldn't have been left there."

"That is very true," Zelas agreed with an elegant nod. "I am Lord Beast Master Zelas Metallium, primary AI of the dark lost ship Great Beast."

"It's nice to meet the primary AI of a dark lost ship." Winry squealed in excitement. It was always a treat to have Canal and her super high tech Swordbreaker there, but she never imagine a dark lost ship would land on her backyard and remained appeased long enough for her to take a look inside and not get killed. "I was wondering if I could ask you something out of curiosity, if you don't mind."

"You seem to be polite and respectful enough, unlike some people." Zelas eyed Filia, who pouted in response. "Go ahead and ask your question."

"Why do you call yourself lord if you look like a woman?" Winry inquired.

Xellos and Filia nearly fell down at the unexpected question. Zelas was left without an answer for several seconds as she adopted a thoughtful expression. "Well... The long answer would be that monsters, my original race in the other world from where I came, are astral, that is to say non-physical beings. As such they don't have a physically identifiable gender. They are not programmed as digital beings are, with a predefined disposition towards a gender. Rather, when a monster becomes strong enough to project themselves into the physical plane, the gender with which they are most closely identified mentally becomes part of their appearance. I was called lord when I was but a shapeless ball of energy being created. Then I took on my astral form of a winged wolf, but it was still merely a silhouette without detail, until my power stabilized, as did my astral form, and soon after my physical form." 

Winry blinked in confusion, "huh?" Was all that she could manage to say. "Other world?"

"What Zelas is trying to say," Filia interjected. "Is that her... father... gave her the title of lord before he knew she would turn out to have a female persona."

"Her father?" Winry thought about it and came to a conclusion. "Oh, I get it, the scientist. That's a pretty neat idea, to build an AI that can define its own gender based on personality, but then wouldn't the programmed personality define it? Ah, but there are many traits that can indeed be present in both males and females and with a random array of variables left open, it could be possible for it to go either way. That's kind of cool, building an AI and not knowing if you built a guy or a girl until it tells you what it is. I always thought of my technology as my babies, but this is even closer to that I suppose," she giggled.

Zelas raised an eyebrow at Filia, who laughed nervously as if saying she was only trying to keep things simple. Zelas gave her a grinned that silently screamed 'you little liar' although there was some truth in Filia's words, even if Winry came up with her own interpretation for them, which no one seemed too eager to correct.

After the small distraction, Winry moved on to the topic at hand. "I understand that there is an injured cyborg on board, Milgazia I believe you called him. May I repair him?"

To be Continued


	22. Chapter 22

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 064: Unicorns! A Long Time Ago...

Zelas mused on the possibility of Milgazia's repairs for a moment, while Xellos, Filia and Winry stood by quietly in the control room of the Great Beast. "Without his jetpack he'll probably have no wings. That would make it difficult to have him come over for diplomatic meetings at Wolf Pack Island and I don't feel like sending Fang to fetch him every time or going to Dragon's Peak myself. Then he might also have trouble generally moving around swiftly from one place to another, though there is no reason why Raywing wouldn't do the trick. None the less, he might be pushed into an early retirement in the dragon council for what they call his own good. Regeneration magic is experimental and difficult, as most sorcerers opt for the easier method of sacrificing a copy of themselves and installing the parts as in with a chimera, albeit I can't imagine Milgazia doing that."

After a pause during which she enjoyed watching Filia shudder in horror, Zelas continued. "I doubt his clan would accept a different leader. He will still lead them, but be out of the council, then he'll have to send a representative and I'll have to find someone else to effectively extract information from. It's too inconvenient, Milgazia serves as a good link to the inner workings of the dragons, even if he lays traps on what he speaks in portions that are convenient to him and tries to obtain information from me in return. I've gotten used to his style by now and know how to make the diplomacy convenient and informative to me. It would be in my best interest to keep things as they are." Zelas concluded. 

Winry wasn't sure what she was talking about, but Xellos and Filia understood. "Then in light of that..." Filia hopefully voiced.

"Yes," Zelas agreed. She looked at Winry, then spoke again. "You may heal him to the best of your abilities." Upon receiving Zelas' authorization, Winry squealed in delight, making everyone think that she had the makings of a mad scientist, though she might not show it at a first glance, the truth was destined to come out.

xoxox xox xoxox

After a good meal, the Great Beast took off from the Rockbell farm though its destination was not far. It landed on a small moon, with an appearance similar to earth, but with all the flora in pastel colors, where Canal had mentioned unicorns inhabited. The Swordbreaker's main AI had suggested visiting such a place for the creatures to work their mysterious influence in helping to calm the crew and get them ready for their upcoming mission. Though they were in a hurry to rush to the rescue of Mr. and Mrs. Inverse, the fact remained that they didn't know where Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis were, as they usually found the Great Beast, rather than the Great Beast finding them. Kain assured that he would contact all his connections to help in locating them and got Raily and a few others on the search.

As soon as the Great Beast landed, the crew curiously ventured out to see what the fuss was about the unicorns and if they were truly as relaxing as legends told. Xellos playfully sprang forward, running straight into the center of a group of unicorns, excited to play with them. "I knew Xellos liked unicorns, but I didn't realize he liked them this much." Filia commented as she shyly pet a medium sized white unicorn that approached her curiously. Surprisingly, the unicorns took to Xellos just as quickly as he did to them and pretty soon, he got the whole crew to join in their games.

As darkness fell over the area, thinking that she might as well take a break of her own while her vessel's batteries, aka the crew, recharged, Zelas sat under a pale tree. A small black unicorn was curled up with her head on Zelas' lap. A few feet away, Xellos was in a sort of simulated sleep mode among a group of unicorns along with the rest of the crew, who rested their heads against the local fauna as if they were living pillows. They weren't as colorful as the unicorns in that show Xellos, Filia and Amelia liked so much, their colors limited to black, white, shades of gray, brown, tan, yellow and red, but Xellos was still tempted to steal one of them and dye it purple.

Silently, so as to not disturb the sleeping unicorns, humans, cyborgs and the sleep simulating hologram, Milgazia approached Zelas. "I thought you didn't like unicorns."

"I thought you'd stay unconscious for a few days," Zelas replied.

"I must thank the one who repaired my jetpack; the healer did a great job." Milgazia hinted at wanting more information.

"That's too bad," Zelas frowned as if disappointed. "I was hoping the job was only passable."

Milgazia decided not to inquire further from Zelas, he would find out more from someone else later. He considered going back to the Great Beast to rest, but he was still curious about the unicorns. If they were anything like the unicorns he had heard existed long ago in his world, before he was born, then they were certainly special. He considered dropping the subject, but there were too many questions floating around. 

"Would you stop staring at me as if you're trying to read my mind? You know it's not going to work," Zelas finally spoke after a long silence.

"I know," he sat down next to her, which hinted that it was time for another diplomatic discussion, meaning that they would try to get information out of each other, while revealing as little as possible in exchange. Yet this time, she wasn't really trying to gather any information, nor did she consider it to be particularly important to keep anything a secret. "Shall we discuss future combat strategies?" Milgazia inquired.

Zelas rolled her eyes, "don't dance around the issue, you want to know what happened and why."

"Yes," Milgazia admitted. "Everyone seems to think you'd be too stubborn to tell them, so they haven't been asking much."

"I don't see how knowing the story would be of any benefit, though I don't think it would bring consequences either," Zelas stated truthfully. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you, or rather clarifying what you already know, as I'm sure you must have heard a version of the tale. Tell me, Milgazia, do you know how unicorns became extinct in our world?"

Milgazia paused for a long moment. It wasn't that he didn't remember the history lesson, he recalled it quite well. But observing Xellos' joyous behavior around the unicorns he was so strangely fond of, the golden dragon elder had found nothing but pure joy and a child-like bliss. Xellos wasn't being the trickster he was known to be, this was all real. Thus given what he had heard, it puzzled Milgazia. "According to the history recorded by the dragons, it was you who extinguished the unicorns years ago, before I was born."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't call me old just now," Zelas huffed. "Getting back into the topic at hand, yes, that would be what is recorded in dragon history, as expected, and it is indeed truth. I wouldn't be surprised if all the accounts in dragon literature about the event are indeed true. What the dragons witnessed from their perspective was exactly what was expected of a monster, thus they would indeed record the tales as they saw them. However, there were things that dragons did not witness, the other side of the story."

Milgazia blinked as he thought he saw something on Zelas' face. "That... Is that related to it somehow?" He traced a line with his index finger over his own right eye as if to indicate what he meant.

"Yes," Zelas almost absently mimicked the motion over her own right eye where a slightly angled vertical line went over it marking the skin above and below it as well as the eyelid, though the eye was undamaged. 

"A scar over the eye, I've caught hints of it in your true form, but never saw it in your human form. I would logically think it is only part of your appearance, you were astral after all and you're digital now. Yet there is something unusual about it," Milgazia admitted.

"That's because it's a real scar, a mark I was not created with," Zelas revealed.

"How is that even possible? I thought that an astral being couldn't be scarred," Milgazia logically pointed out. Scars were things that belonged in physical forms, he would assume.

"Don't get your hopes up about learning any anti-monster fighting tactics," Zelas chuckled almost teasingly. "Only another astral being of greater power can do something like this."

Then the answer became obvious to Milgazia, "Shabranigdu."

"Yes," Zelas confirmed.

"But how does that relate to the unicorns and what happened during the fight with Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis?" Milgazia was still missing too many pieces to the puzzle to form a clear picture just yet.

"Impatient to know, aren't we?" Zelas closed her eyes for a moment, the line over her right eye becoming more defined. "This," she pointed at the scar, "only appears in my projection when I think about it, though it is a part of my true form. Its appearance in my projection is a sort of involuntary reaction to the thought of it, which I'm sure you must have noticed doesn't happen often. As for the origin... It all began with my own origin..." The appearance of her holographic projection changed, though the small black unicorn remained sleeping undisturbed. Though she was still easily recognizable, her clothing was not her usual elegant dress and she wore no jewelry, instead wrapped in furs one around her hips and another over her chest tied on the back. Her hair was messier and her figure had more muscle to it. A wolf tail peeked out from under the fur around her hips and rested beside her. Fur adorned the end of her elongated ears, her long manicured nails became unpainted claws and her fangs protuberated from the sides of her mouth as her eyes glowed. "This was the appearance of the Berserk Beast."

"This was your original projection," Milgazia realized. "And I take it you were called the Berserk Beast for a good reason."

"Naturally," Zelas changed her holographic projection back to her usual elegantly dressed slender form. "Let's review, shall we, Ceifeed's strongest followers are..." She purposefully trailed off into silence, allowing Milgazia to complete the sentence.

"Aqualord Ragradia, Firelord Vrabazard, Airlord Vailwin and Earthlord Rangort," Milgazia detailed.

"They all represent certain elements, pretty balanced aren't they? That's not surprising given that they were the minions of Ceifeed," Zelas concluded. "As for Shabranigdu, he had..." She paused again, like a teacher giving a student a pop quiz.

"Chaos Dragon Garv, Hellmaster Fibrizo, Dynast Grausherra, Deep Sea Dolphin and you, Beast Master Zelas Metallium," Milgazia listed off.

"You should have mentioned me first, but I'll let that slip. Each of the monster lords represents something," Zelas explained. "Chaos Dragon Garv, as the name suggests is a mockery to the orderly dragons. Hellmaster Fibrizo was all about death and the undead, that's something that living creatures fear. Dynast Grausherra was all about the war and the cold, while some people can find beauty in a cold winter and a sense of pride in war tales, put the two together and it's too much to take for most. Deep Sea Dolphin, as the name suggests, is all about the sea. Early in history, there were many legends about the terrors of the sea which have subsided in recent years after sailors have managed to plot standard routes and getting lost at sea became less of a possibility. Yet in the past, ignorance was common and the ocean was a very scary place for humans and the other living creatures of our world. As for me, I'm the beast, but certainly not a tame beast. I'm the fierce angry predator."

Though Milgazia already knew all those things, he listened with quiet attention, waiting for Zelas to reach the point in her story where she would reveal something new.

"Garv was full of unpredictable uncertainty, perhaps that's why he ended up fusing with his human side and gaining some of the qualities of the creatures that are quite chaotic in their own right," Zelas mused. "Fibrizo was always playful and child-like in appearance, the bratty little brother of our dysfunctional monster lord family as it were. Death can claim anyone, however young, and it is difficult to see it coming as it may appear harmless until it is too late. Dynast the cold warlord with his snowy mountain castle and armaments fitted his role quite well too. As did Dolphin, majestic and alluring to adventure and treasure seeking explorers, but in truth absolutely unforgiving and ever changing like the tides. Then there's the beast, a predator, wild. Garv's chaos came from the clash of his dragon properties with his monster properties, it wasn't randomness, there was a method to his madness and for his purposes to be accomplished, there had to be. But not for me; I'm the monster under the bed in a sense, the glowing eyes watching people in the dead of night. There was no method, only madness, I was wrath, I was wild instinct beyond reason, I was a berserker."

At that point Milgazia couldn't help it but to ask about such details. "In ancient dragon texts I recall that you have been called the Berserk Beast, but even after you started being called the Beast Master, the text made no effort to differentiate. I do understand that the Berserk Beast and Beast Master are both you, yet if you went from one to the other and if the change was as marked as it appears to be, I would think someone would mention something."

"If they didn't, I doubt it was by conscious omission," Zelas explained. "To the dragons I called myself Beast Master because I had eliminated the unicorns, the only beasts that they thought I did not have an affinity towards. Thus I had become the master of all the remaining beasts that I could influence in violence towards my own benefit. That was their logical conclusion from their observation and they were honest in their records if that is what they wrote, they simply did not know the other side of the story. Like Garv, I was a contradiction. He was a chaotic dragon and I am a monster with an affinity towards living creatures. Beasts have a special instinct to survive and monsters an instinct to destroy. Usually that contradiction was reconciled by thinking that I would not allow anyone to destroy the world, except myself. Survival would be pursued in that sense, but also the goal that the monster race considered to be their purpose, as many still do. By now I've decided that I'm better off ruling the world."

"Going back to the story from back then," Zelas continued. "As you might have heard, unicorns have a calming property. They are gentle creatures that brought joy to human's hearts through the peace they inspired. Because of that, Shabranigdu hated them. Peculiarly, the unicorns were so gentle, that the soothing feeling they eradiated was not harmful to monsters. It was like a refreshing spring of water. Like water, the soothing energy did not have a taste, but it was none the less refreshing. I suppose the unicorns were creatures of neutrality, creatures that did not empower human emotions, but rather soothed their nerves and allowed their true feelings to be understood more clearly. For better or worse, humans tend to calm down when they have a grip on their situation, even if it's a bad situation. So strong is their thirst to understand everything around them. As neutral creatures, the unicorns also did not harm monsters, but rather helped soothed them into a sense of stability that medium ranked and above monsters might disregard, but was actually good for the lesser monsters to become more defined in terms of their persona, their most vital aspect that allowed them to exist. Of course, neither the humans nor the dragons really notice that. The unicorns were pleasant to them, thus they assumed they were unpleasant to monsters."

"One day," Zelas narrated. "Shabranigdu decided to eliminate the unicorns. I did not like them at the time and volunteered myself for the task. I thought I would enjoy hunting them down. Yet when I went to a valley filled with the creatures, I started seeing them as I saw the wolves and the jungle cats, they were my beasts. I didn't return to report to Shabranigdu and when some time passed, the other monster lords got curious and went to find me..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Many years ago, before the War of the Monster's Fall, Zelas sat on the grass covered ground at a spacious valley, surrounded by unicorns. Her appearance was somewhat wild, her hair spiky. Furs were tied around her athletic body and her wolf tail moved contently as she rested. A woman in a blue dress approached and inquired curiously, "what are you doing?"

"Zelas rests with her beasts." The Berserk Beast replied in her past manner of speech which referred to herself in third person.

"Your beasts?" Dolphin looked at her fellow monster lord in curiosity. "Do you not have enough with your wolves and jungle cats? Must you keep these horrid creatures as well?"

"Dolphin have pet too!" Zelas growled in argument.

"Yes, and my Leviathan is the only pet I need," Dolphin assured. "However, I do notice something different about you. Perhaps now that you growl and grunt less often than before I could turn you into a proper lady. Don't you realize that elegance enhances terror?"

"Zelas not believe that," she huffed.

"It's true! An alluring beauty can cause greater fear, as people fear the predator as well as their own inability to even try to escape," Dolphin insisted.

"Hey, you two, what's going on?" Garv's gruff voice demanded, appearing next to the two female monster lords with curiosity. "I thought you'd be done with your mission by now, Zelas."

"Unicorns my beasts now, mine!" Zelas growled threateningly.

"Cool it, shewolf, I'm not going to steal them or anything," Garv laughed heartily. "You and your fascination with keeping pets."

"You mean her fascination with keeping strange pets." Dynast commented as he teleported out of the astral side on time to hear what Garv said. "The jungle cats I can understand and even the wolves, as I keep a mountain lion as a pet myself. It's a curious creature, but I do feel that observing it is a beneficial activity in the need to understand living creatures. It is important for us to know the enemy after all."

"And I have my crocodile," Garv nodded.

"I don't have a pet." A pouting Fibrizo appeared and joined the conversation. "I wanted to get a human alchemist to make me a pet chimera. Something cool, like a three headed dog. I had the perfect name for it too, I was going to call it Cerberus, but Lord Shabranigdu doesn't want me dealing with humans so closely." He stomped his feet as if preparing to throw a temper tantrum, then stopped, with a crooked grin upon his face. Just as quickly as it came, the grin faded away to be replaced with a sweet childish expression. "Hey Zelas, can I help you with your mission?" Fibrizo asked in his best impression of a sweet little brother. "I can catch the unicorns and rip their horns off for you!"

Zelas roared, "no! My beasts! Mine!" She warned.

"You're so greedy!" Fibrizo complained.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 065: Combat! Every Battle Makes You Stronger

A long time ago, before the War of the Monster's Fall, one fateful day, the monster lords of Ruby Eyes Shabranigdu were gathered together in the valley of the unicorns. "These creatures aren't so bad," Dolphin unexpectedly observed. "They have a refreshing feeling to them, like the sea. Speaking of water, I'm parched; can anyone get me a drink?"

"You don't actually need water to live, it's all in your head," Dynast argued. "Anyway, I suppose these creatures really aren't so terrible. I could have my lancer minions ride on them, galloping fiercely to war, spear in hand. The horn does make them look better than plain old horses."

"Ha, I doubt they could be trained to be creatures of war," Garv laughed. "But you know, I'll bet the dragons won't be happy if we keep a bunch of them as pets because they and the elves really like these creatures."

"I want them!" Fibrizo pouted.

"Didn't you want to kill them just now?" Dynast pointed out.

"I do! I want them to be really mine and for that they have to be undead, they'll be more fun that way. I want them!" Fibrizo stomped his feet and yelled as he flailed his arms around in full on temper tantrum mode.

"Sheesh, you sound like the humans," Garv laughed at the irony. "They're fond of the unicorns one second and the next they're trying to kill them and drink their blood because of some weird rumor about that granting them immortality. I wonder if that's what they mean when they say hurt the ones you love. Strange creatures those humans are, aren't they? Fascinating even."

"Fascinating? That's a big word for you, Garv!" Dolphin teased with a giggle, to which Garv grunted in response.

"That's not the same thing!" Fibrizo pouted and glared.

"Oh, I see what you mean," Dynast nodded at Garv. "It is similar," he explained to Fibrizo. "You want to kill the unicorns because you want to keep them to yourself."

"It's like, destroy what you want to keep," Dolphin added with an amused laugh. "Well, you guys can have all the pets you want, but my Leviathan will always be the best!"

"Not have unicorns! All Unicorns mine! Zelas already claim all!" Zelas growled with insistence, causing Fibrizo's pout to become more pronounced upon his cutesy youthful face.

Garv huffed, "you think a goldfish is the best? Ha!" He mocked playfully.

The legends of Leviathan were formed around the sea serpent minions that served Dolphin, which were often called by that name by humans after they had heard it being spoken by the monsters of her dominion. However, no one ever knew that the original Leviathan was actually Deep Sea Dolphin's pet goldfish. The fish had a pact with its master, which allowed it to live as long as she did, provided that the pledge stone was not broken. 

xoxox xox xoxox

At the present time, in the pastel colored little moon inhabited by unicorns, a thought occurred to Zelas as she narrated. "When we were taken away from our world, it is very likely that the pacts we had formed were broken. That's going to be quite a mess to sort out later and some inconveniences will never be repaired. Though from your point of view it's more like things are at last repaired."

"Of course," Milgazia assured, less monster pacts in the world was a good thing for dragons. "All of this is quite the story I must say."

"There are things that only us monster lords were aware of. I created Xellos at the start of the War of the Monster's Fall so he didn't witness any of this, but I have told him the stories before," Zelas revealed. "Anyway, it just occurred to me that Leviathan must be dead. Dolphin is going to throw a tantrum about it; she was going for a record for the longest monster pact maintained with a living creature. Even if it was just a fish and the record was already indisputably hers anyway."

"That's really too bad about her pet." Milgazia sounded sincere as the pact in that situation was harmless and he certainly didn't want to imagine how Dolphin would express her mourning in her own monster way. "I take it I should expect tidal waves?"

"In abundance," Zelas nodded.

"I will begin evacuating all coastal villages as soon as I return to our world," Milgazia sighed. "Now then, about the story, would you care to continue it?"

"Care no, but I will continue anyway," Zelas decided. "Shabranigdu eventually showed up and was most displeased to find his five main minions slacking off and playing around with the creatures they were supposed to destroy. He blamed it on me, as it had been my mission, that I myself had volunteered for. Plus I was the one claiming the unicorns as mine and wanting to keep them. Shabranigdu ordered me to destroy them and I defied him despite the difference in our power at the time." Zelas alluded to the fact that while Shabranigdu's power had diminished since then, hers had grown. "That's how I got that scar, it was an astral injury inflicted by Shabranigdu. Afterwards, I had no choice but to destroy the unicorns or I would be reabsorbed by Lord Ruby Eyes and recreated into an obedient servant, which I considered to be a fate worse than being ruined and permanently killed." 

"So I exterminated them," Zelas concluded. "But of course, that little divergence was not something witnessed by the dragons, so from their point of view it never occurred. I looked the same for some time, despite the change in title I chose to show I was in control of my power, rather than being aimlessly driven by it. I chose my new appearance while I was bored one day during my first few months maintaining the monster barrier. Good thing I had my pets at Wolf Pack Island or I might have just died of boredom. I suppose it was the unicorns that influenced me into getting a firm grip on my power. It did not diminish though, all the opposite, I was still strong, but also I had become far more cunning. I suppose Xellos' special liking for unicorns is something I might have unconsciously passed on to him, a remembrance of sorts."

"You are indeed the most dangerous of evils," Milgazia concluded. This was quite a surprising story he had heard. One that no dragon had witnessed and thus could not have recorded or even dreamed of. "You are a necessary evil, and I don't just mean in the fight against Darkstar and for the sake of keeping the balance and preventing the Mother of All Things from destroying and recreating the world. You're cunning, but not all bad, the kind of evil that comes with benefits that can be hard to let go of. A fascinating mysterious evil, a great danger indeed." He frowned at the end of his speech, realizing something. "Shabranigdu's time ended long ago, but only now is someone taking his place. His fragments will continue to become weaker over time until he is no more, mere centuries from now, but you... You're becoming stronger."

"I'm so glad you noticed," Zelas grinned. "And though what you said might have sounded as a critique to the ears of most, I will take it as a compliment. I guess this means you'll take it upon yourself to be the opposing force in the equation of darkness and light?"

"Me?" Milgazia blinked incredulously.

"Ragradia is dead with only a shadow left behind," Zelas stated. "Valwin is not interested in the matters of this world and has become a hermit in the astral side. I've even passed him by and he barely gave me a second glance, as if the matters of this world did not concern him at all. His power has diminished, but he didn't seem to care. On that short meeting he said 'humans no longer need us' which reminds me of the words spoken by that old dragon before I came here. From his point of view, his job is done, humans and the other chaotic living creatures of the world can create their own balance, and with that mentality, in time he will fade away like a breeze." 

"Rangort is asleep, deep within the main planet of our world," Zelas continued. "I discovered him while investigating about Gaia and the Green Alchemist over a year ago. Refusing to wake up, it is only a matter of time before he becomes petrified as part of the soil itself. Vrabazard became entranced by his adoring subjects, all which perished during the Darkstar incident, save for Filia, who had already resigned her official position in her clan. Vrabazard wanders aimlessly and will too fade with time as he was far too used to the life of being revered and adored, the life that died with the dragon clan that served him."

"So you knew..." Milgazia frowned in solemn seriousness. "The most guarded piece of information of the dragon race, you knew it all along."

"You were careful never to hint at it, I found this out on my own," Zelas admitted. "I had wondered if the higher ups kept this from you, yet you somehow seem to know the most out of all the dragons when it comes down to it. Thus I thought that you might know and I was right. It's odd, I want to destroy you, but at the same time, I don't. Maybe it is the human need for an opposition to face that's rubbed off on me over the years or maybe it's because I know there must be a semblance of balance between the darkness and light for the world to continue evolving and thus existing."

"I'm only a dragon," Milgazia stated. "I'm not a dragon lord, just a dragon... Yet maybe that will be my greatest strength in what lies ahead. That, and what I have learned from the humans. So even if I don't claim to be worthy, if a time comes when such a responsibility falls upon my shoulders, I will fulfill it to the best of my abilities."

A small silent pause passed, until Zelas broke it with laughter. "How dramatic!" She teased. "I would expect nothing less out of you, Milgazia. So this is the future of our world, the all powerful versus the underdog."

"Zelas..." with his golden eyes sharp, Milgazia made a daring statement. "It's not just me; it's the humans and the other living creatures, and their potential. The way I see it, with examples such as Lina Inverse, the playing field is quite even. I know you are far too prideful to acknowledge a rival unless you believe it is a worthy one and this time, I know you've done so. That's why you move cautiously, you want to keep Lina on your side, so to speak, or at least not as an open opposition."

"That's quite a bold statement," Zelas acknowledged. "You better hope you don't regret it."

"What about Luna? She'll help keep things balanced too." Milgazia pointed out.

"Yes, yes, all of you," Zelas disregarded, adding a foreboding note at the end, "if she is ever restored."

"Lina has not lost hope," Milgazia pointed it out as if it was a vital fact, and it was. "She's determined to save her sister and her parents."

Zelas mused on his words for a moment. "And when Lina Inverse is determined to do something, no matter how difficult or impossible it may appear to be, she'll find a way to get what she wants," the hologram concluded. "None the less, Luna has become accustomed to letting Lina handle things and more often than not she stands by, enjoying the simpler pleasures of life, such as serving tea." Zelas paused, slightly raising her hand for silence as she sensed an incoming transmission to the Great Beast, then she announced with anticipation. "It is time..."

xoxox xox xoxox

After everyone was ready to go, the crew exchanged their goodbyes with the Rockbells, and the Great Beast took off. Zelas, as before, wanted to go off on her own, yet that time, Lina had agreed. This was a personal matter that she wanted to solve with the resources of her world. Thus with Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Xellos and Milgazia on board, Zelas took her vessel to once again venture into the depths of space with the vital information they had received less than an hour prior to their hasty departure. Raily had contacted Canal, who passed on the message containing information about Galveira's whereabouts. They hurried to their destination prepared for a fight. 

When Galvaira appeared on the screen, the crew's uneasiness shone through. "Battle stations," Zelas simply commanded. 

Lina stepped forward and focused. This was the moment of truth, she couldn't fail now. She sat at the captain's chair and closed her eyes, chanting quiet words under her whispered breath that would not create a spell in that world, but would none the less help her concentrate. Her psy-energy flowed out clearly, with rage and courage as if they were two separate streams. Not allowing them to mix too much was extremely difficult for Lina, but it would certainly make Zelas' part in the battle easier. 

The dark lost ship found the rage to be soothing and the courage much easier to handle when she was coated in her own element, defending and attacking at once. Galveira charged forward with a barrage of missiles, not even bothering to open a communication link before initiating the battle. The Great Beast fought back, a multitude of missiles of her own colliding with the enemy projectiles and causing a light show of explosions in space. "Ready the main psy-canon!" Zelas commanded, as she guided her vessel in complex twists and turns in a deadly dance with Galveira. 

"It's almost done loading for a maximum power hit!" Xellos happily informed, his eyes opened as Zelas allowed him to take control of the cannon while she focused on the engines and navigation. 

"Xellos... Take my energy, digitalize it, encrypt it, and sent it as a message along with that shot." Lina requested, her appearance was serene on the outside, which hardly hinted at the inner storm she held.

"A message?" Xellos questioned. "I don't know what you're planning or if it'll work..."

"A message sent like that wouldn't work in these circumstances even if you were a psychic, which you are not." Zelas pointed out.

"It's alright, my energy will reach them, it will resonate with theirs. That is all I need," Lina insisted.

"Lina... I'll give you my energy too," Gourry offered.

"And mine," Amelia volunteered.

"Me too," agreed Zelgadis.

"Count me in," ascertained Filia.

"And I as well," Milgazia added.

"As a message..." Zelas mused. Her constant movements were starting to be felt inside the lost ship as there was only so much the outer shield and inner gravity controls could do for such a constant long period. It would turn into a very bumpy ride if they didn't progress soon. "I think I understand, but such an encryption will take a lot of system resources, as only the main AI of this vessel could have. Xellos, hold off on the main psy-canon attack and instead take over the maneuvers while I ready the energy."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," not quite certain about what the plan was, Xellos did as he was instructed anyway. It seemed that for now, the crew was just trusting Lina and doing as she requested, but they had little idea of what her aim was, yet Zelas sounded like she knew. The Great Beast shook with the impact of enemy missiles. The Great Beast's own missiles had ran out and Xellos had nothing to counter the enemy missiles with except to try to dodge them. 

When Zelas saw a clear shot to Galveira at nearly point blank, she took it without hesitation, "fire!" The energy wave of the psy-canon hit the target directly. As expected, Galveira brought out his shield of dark energy, pushing it to the limit, and something unexpected happened. Rather than reaching into it to try to encourage the prisoners to awaken and rebel against their captor again, the encrypted message of feelings of encouragement bounced back as if unable to reach its target, while the energy meant to serve as a weapon did its job well.

Lina's eyes shot open, her expression shocked for a few seconds before her grin became similar to the expression Zelas had on her face. "It looks like we're finally on the same page, thanks for allowing me this investigation."

"The result was not what was expected, but they are far more favorable," Zelas agreed.

"I don't understand..." Amelia voiced in confusion.

"I wanted to get my parents to help us from the inside, but instead I found out they're not there," Lina revealed. "I should have been able to sense them with my little experiment."

"Not there?" Gourry wondered in confusion. "Who's not there?"

"Lina's parents," Zelgadis replied.

"I would think not," Gourry mused aloud. "I mean, aren't they back in our world in Zephilia?" Leave it to Gourry to still be confused about the situation, even after all that had happened recently. 

"If they're not there, then where are they?" Filia brought up a very valid question.

Lina looked at the hologram of the Great Beast's main AI with the question in her eyes. "Zelas?"

"By obtaining the black box of Galveira, that is to say, a device that records transmission information, we can pinpoint their location. What we do know is that they are not physically there inside Galveira. Their energy is being projected from afar. They could be with Ragudo Mezegis, with Darkstar, or in a hidden facility that sends their energy," Zelas theorized.

"We'll rescue them after we blow up Galveira. That black box thing should survive the blast, right?" The Great Beast shook violently just as Lina asked her question, which she didn't really expect a direct answer to, but thought would be an affirmative.

Alarms came on the screen and Zelas huffed in anger. "This vessel was built for speed and agility, its armor surpasses that of any other regular ship, but Galveira is more heavily armed... Of course, it's much slower than me and speed can create strength!" Zelas guided the Great Beast once more, leaving Xellos to perform supportive functions. She made the ship spin in place in a motion that Galveira found strange. 

"The inner gravity stabilizers are at maximum!" Xellos announced. None the less, the crew was clinging to their seats, glad they had remembered to put on their seatbelts, because the gravity stabilizing mechanisms were not enough to keep the full motions isolated from their senses.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" Gourry complained.

"I'll take your energy of discomfort and use it to power my shield, but if you get sick in my control room, I'll kill you!" Zelas warned.

"Why are you doing this?" Filia's dizzy voice echoed from all the spinning.

"Isn't this like Xellos?" Zelgadis observed, remembering a time when Xellos took on his true form of a black cone and spun around, drilling into the enemy.

"I think you're right!" Amelia sounded more so excited than in discomfort. "Spin as fast as justice itself!"

Though the existence of a method to measure the speed of justice was questionable, Zelas was indeed spinning quite fast. "Classic," Xellos grinned. "The defenses are in place."

The aftershock of the waves of energy around Zelas as the Great Beast spun repelled the missiles and lasers from the perplexed Galveira, who didn't think the Great Beast had a trick such as this. "Who do you think taught Xellos all he knows?" Zelas chuckled as her vessel crashed into Galveira for an unexpected physical assault, which the dark shield of psy-energy was not enough to protect him from. Thus the lost ship that was once the bow of light was torn to pieces.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 066: Ambush! Time Bomb Count Down

After Galveira was defeated, among the wreckage in space, the device known as the black box was discovered. It was encrypted, as expected, but with the viral hacking properties of her programming, Zelas managed to crack the code and found some interesting information. "According to this data, the location of the source of the shields is static and has been that way from the start," Zelas announced.

"That means that my parents are not with Ragudo Mezegis, or else their location wouldn't have been the same all the time," Lina concluded. "Are they with...?" She inquired in worry, hoping that their static location did not match the position that Dugradigdu had not bothered to move from.

"Not with him," Zelas confirmed and Lina let out a tense and worried breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. "It seems the theory that was correct was the one about them being held in a facility of sorts. Oh, what's this... Interesting, it seems Onyx was there as well, that explains why your instincts supposedly failed you that time, Milgazia, Onyx really wasn't in danger of getting blown up back then. It looks like their energy is being projected to the enemy lost ships. Onyx was exhausted and taken offline after her last battle. She might or might not be alive, though the Inverses were used as shields recently, so they probably still live."

The news took Milgazia by surprise and filled him with hope. Onyx was a part of his clan and he wanted to protect her and safely return her to Phythan's side. "Mr. and Mrs. Inverse are waiting to be rescued and maybe so is Onyx... No, not maybe, she has to be alive. We shouldn't delay their rescue a moment longer!" The dragon elder turned cyborg declared. Obviously, Lina and the others were in a complete agreement.

Zelas grinned as if she was in no rush to move. "You're forgetting something. I'm a monster lord and rescue missions are simply not my forte. Even if I forfeit their lives, you will still make yourselves useful to me because the fate of our world and the over-world depends on it."

Lina was filled with frustration and anger. "When this is over..." she warned, though she knew it was an empty threat. 

"You'll do what?" Zelas mocked. "I thought I had made it quite obvious that I hold your lives in my hand, after all, you can't even do as much as breathe without my help in this atmosphere."

"This isn't fair," Amelia pouted and Zelgadis placed his arm around her shoulders as if to comfort her. Filia glared at Xellos, telling him with her eyes to say something, but the general priest turned AI didn't say a word. His solid holographic projection remained perfectly still as a statue with his usual cheerful expression firmly in place.

"Excuse me," Gourry spoke up, much to everyone's surprise. "Um... Lady Lord Beast Master," he did his best to sound respectful. "I humbly request that you help us in saving Lina's parents and Miss Onyx as well. I know I'm only a human swordsman with nothing special to offer, but I offer you all I have in exchange."

"All you have?" Zelas questioned with curiosity.

"Yes, you can take my very life." Gourry offered with a serious face that was an expression he rarely ever used. "As it is only the ordinary life of a swordsman, I understand if that is not good enough in exchange for your efforts, but I am willing to spend the rest of my life repaying the debt."

Gasps invaded the control room as everyone, even Xellos, stared in absolute shock and surprise. "Are you sure you understand what you're saying?" Zelas inquired. 

The usual clueless Gourry looked very sure of himself now, as if he did know what he was getting into and he was willing to bravely march into it anyway. "Yes," the fearless swordsman replied. "I do not expect any mercy, nor do I expect a life of serving you to be an easy one. As I said, I know I don't have much to offer, but please consider accepting this simple swordsman's life." He went on his knees, taking Zelas' hand and kissing it as if to vow his loyalty to his new master, should she accept his offer.

"This is inconceivable!" Lina screeched so loudly that all those present cringed at the sound of her angry voice. 

"Oh dear, I think we've made her jealous," Zelas teased with mocking laughter.

"This is an outrage! Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" Lina's warning went out to both Zelas and Gourry as her psy-energy waves went wild, projected in a red hot aura around her. "Gourry, never throw your life away like that, even if it's just to sound gallant. I want to save my parents and friend too, but you can't sacrifice yourself, I won't let you! I'd rather have Zelas take me than you!" She breathed heavily, the immense power of her chaotic soul still surrounding her.

"So now you're offering yourself?" Zelas grinned, gladly absorbing the energy that irradiated from Lina. "Very interesting... You might have not noticed it, but over a year ago when you died and were reborn so to speak, certain things changed. Born of chaos and cleansed by chaos into pure chaos, you are chaos itself, Lina Inverse, you are the living legend, the wild card, your potential was unlocked that time, the potential of a truly chaotic soul. I might just take you up on your offer."

"No!" Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Milgazia protested in a loud and urgent chorus filled with justified alarm.

"Aw, but don't you guys want Lina to be an official part of the Metallium family?" Xellos smiled mischievously.

"Shut up, raw garbage, this is too much!" Filia screeched.

"Lina Inverse cannot and must not be controlled by a monster," Milgazia seriously stated. "I will not allow it. Leave them out of this, I'll sacrifice myself instead."

"My, my, so many want to be my minions today. I suppose enslaving the respected golden dragon elder Milgazia would be fun, especially since the dragons realized you were right all along and started holding you in much higher esteem after Luna's commandeered body situation was revealed. But still, I can't pass up the chance to have Lina the wild card on my side," Zelas decided. "So here's the deal. Lina Inverse, you are now my envoy of chaos. All you have to do is... be yourself. If you can give me your word that you'll never consider betraying me, that will be sufficient. I know you well enough to know you won't go back on it, so I will not force a pact on you." That would only make the commitment stronger. A pact, an entrapment, would encourage Lina to break it, yet if she was held only by her own word, it felt binding yet willing, thus she would be more likely to stand by it.

Lina blinked, shocked and suspicious. "That's it? You won't ask me to do anything for you?"

"My dearest pawn, I've always used you just fine before, why would I ask for anything additional?" Zelas laughed.

"Fine... So be it, you have my word," Lina agreed.

"Excellent, then I'll do you this one favor." The Great Beast started moving again. "I don't have ammunition, but it proved to be ineffective anyway so I'll just rely on the main psy-canon and my energy sources for whatever may come. Status report, Xellos."

"The damage wasn't too bad since the shielding energy was so strong, though the paint job was scratched rather badly," Xellos informed. "The self repaired system has taken care of most issues, there's nothing but a few minor scratches and chipped metal here and there left."

"This vessel is going to need a complete remodeling job when this is over," Zelas huffed. If only her ship didn't get trashed after every fight. Having a physical form to take care of was a difficult task indeed. "Well, as long as it's functional. Onward we go, the light speed jump calculations are complete, be ready for anything!" The crew braced themselves for the light speed jump that would take them near the area where Light, Labyrinthine and hopefully Onyx were being held captive.

xoxox xox xoxox

The Great Beast reappeared in front of a satellite of medium size. The space station was suspiciously unguarded as if inviting them in. "Either they weren't expecting us to find this place, or it's a trap," Xellos theorized.

A short moment of musing silence passed and Lina, Amelia, Zelgadis and Filia chorused, "it's a trap."

"But that's not going to keep you out, is it?" Zelas smiled almost teasingly with mischievous amusement in her eyes.

"Of course not!" Lina assured with great determination, as expected. "Let's hurry up and go in. Look over there; it looks like you could dock the lost ship there."

"It seems to be alright..." Zelas agreed and approached the designated docking area where she extended a small tunnel from one of the side doorways of her vessel to the inside of the satellite. 

Lina didn't waste a single second in rushing into the space station. She was closely followed by Gourry, with Milgazia eagerly trailing behind. Amelia rushed in after them with Zelgadis right beside her. Filia paused to look back at Xellos who accompanied her to the tunnel but stopped with a flicker at the entrance. "It looks like there's far too much magnetism in here, holograms can't move freely inside this satellite."

"What about your android body that you were working on improving? Can't you use that?" Filia inquired.

"It's unavailable," Xellos informed with a hint of disappointment. Who knew what fun he would be missing out on by staying behind during this excursion. 

"Unavailable?" Filia questioned in perplexity. 

"It was taken apart to use the spare pieces for repairs on the main vessel, most of it was melted and reshaped actually," Zelas informed.

"Oh..." Filia frowned in disappointment. "I guess you'll have to miss out, I better hurry up and catch up with the others." She rushed through the tunnel calling out, "wait for me!" But found that the rest of the group had not gone too far. "Oh, there you are."

Lina, was furiously typing on a numerical control panel on the side of a heavy closed metal door. The words 'wrong passcode' kept flashing in red on the keypad's small screen. "Filia, get Xellos over here and have him hack this thing open!"

"He can't come, there's too much interference for his holographic form to be projected inside the satellite and his android body was dismantled and recycled to repair the Great Beast." Filia regretfully informed.

"Then how are we supposed to get through here? These doors are pretty thick and I'm not looking forward to having to bring them down, especially if there are more of them ahead. Besides, that will take a lot of time and energy," Lina complained. The satellite shook violently all of a sudden as the sounds of lasers being fired was heard. "What was that?"

"There - no cau-se - alarm," Xellos' flickering hologram informed them with cut off sounds from a few feet away at the tunnel entrance. "Beast -ster destroyed - antennae, so they - not trans-mit - energy."

"I think he's saying that the big antennae on top of the satellite has been destroyed so that it can't transmit energy," Filia interpreted. "That's good, I mean they probably already know we're here anyway and if Ragudo Mezegis shows up, he won't be able to use energy from your parents and Onyx transmitted from here."

The keypad next to the door flashed in different numbers until it received the correct one and the doors opened. Zelas' flickering hologram appeared next to Xellos and signaled them to go on and get this over with. "You'll have - break any - doors, I don't - enough range - this."

Lina nodded, "gotcha, you don't have enough range to hack beyond this point. We'll deactivate the magnetic field if we manage to run into its source while we're looking for everyone." The redhead took a moment to glance at Filia, "stay here."

"Huh?" Filia blinked in confusion at the unexpected request. "But why? You don't know what's waiting in there, you need all the help you can get!" The golden dragon turned cyborg insisted on going.

"That's my point," Lina explained. "If Ragudo Mezegis shows up, and if my instinct is correct, he's probably on his way, then the Great Beast will need a battery to power the main psy-cannon. Even if Zelas and Xellos have mastered producing their own energy, they need to manage the ship's systems, pilot, handle defenses and so on. Having an extra source of energy would be a big help if the Great Beast has to fight while we're still in here. I want to go find my parents and Onyx personally and you're the only other one with the guts to be truly effective as an energy source," meaning the short fuse and explosive temper. "Thus I, captain Lina, must leave first officer Filia in charge of things until I return."

Seeing the logic behind the request, Filia agreed. "Alright, I'll stay here, be careful, all of you." Filia returned to the Great Beast where she wasn't looking forward to getting caught in Xellos and Zelas' antics that would pop up if they were left with little to do until Ragudo Mezegis showed up, if he made it to their location before Lina and the others made it out.

xoxox xox xoxox

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Milgazia, ventured deeper into the satellite. They were surrounded by metal walls with lines of light running through it, as if the entire structure was one giant circuit board. They had the strong feeling that they were being watched and remained alert for any kind of danger that decided to leap at them without warning. Suddenly, several compartments on the walls were opened and laser guns emerged from them, some silver and others metallic black. The silver guns shot lasers which the group took extra effort to dodge, rushing forward deeper into the space fortress, trying to get away from the line of heavy fire. 

The black guns shot beams of dark light that affected their psy-energy. "They're using the hostages' energy to try to weaken us." They reached a closed door made of the same thick metal as before. Milgazia and Zelgadis, who was wearing his armor, projected their energy to create a shield of light around the group until they could manage to get through the door at the end of the long heavily armed hallway. "This isn't fair, how dare Darkstar and his dirty minions make them suffer like this?" Lina punched the keypad next to the door in frustrated anger and coincidentally pressed the correct numbers by accident, causing the door to open.

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Milgazia rushed in, with the door closing again behind them. The next room was dark, but soon, light came on filling it with brightness. It was a rather large metal chamber with the same lines of light like a circuit board running through the walls. There were three glass chambers in the center of the room, holding the three people they had come looking for. But before they could break them out, several compartments opened up on the walls and tall black and silver battle robots stepped out. Everyone readied their weapons immediately.

"We can't risk the enemy using the hostages against us again or them getting hurt. Zelgadis, Milgazia, use your force fields to protect them and get them out of there. The rest of you, let's turn these robots into scrap metal!" Lina commanded.

"Justice will prevail!" Amelia charged towards one of the robots delivering a psy-energy powered pacifist crush with the metal knuckles of her psy-energy conducting gloves. Her fist went right through the outer armor, reaching into the inner circuitry. She received a shock of electricity, but managed to grasp several cables inside and pull them out. The robot short circuited and moved around at random before crumpling to the metal floor.

The combat robots shot lasers at Milgazia and Zelgadis, though with some extra power to their force fields, the reason why they had been given this task by Lina, they managed to deflect the attacks and prevent the glass tanks containing Onyx, Light and Labyrinthine from being hit. They quickly broke them free, removing the multitude of cables that held them in place.

Lina fired her gun continuously, while occasionally glancing at Milgazia and Zelgadis' progress in the rescue mission. Seeing as they had the hostages secured, she called for a retreat. "Back to the ship everyone!" 

The combat robots were programmed to keep them there and continued relentlessly attacking. "We'll have to carve our own path!" Gourry charged forward, with his sword at the ready, cutting one robot after another out of the way, even so, there were so many that their advancement was slow. Milgazia and Zelgadis kept the unconscious Onyx, Labyrinthine and Light safe within their team work force field, shooting lasers to prevent the robots from getting too close, watching everyone's backs. Lina and Amelia continued fighting as well, with Gourry leading the way, trying to cut a path back to the Great Beast.

The satellite shook violently again and the large metal door that led to the robot filled chamber was forced open from the outside by short circuiting the lock system. "Everyone, we must hurry!" Filia appeared at the doorway. "It was a trap, we have to deactivate it!"

"You mean a trap other than these robots?" Lina called back. If that was all there was, then they could handle it, but she had a feeling that Filia's urgency and alarm had another cause. 

"The Great Beast is stuck," Filia shot several lasers as she spoke. "The magnetic field trapped the ship and a lot of strong cables wrapped around it. Zelas and Xellos have a lot of interference and can't break free from the satellite's grasp. The radar's analysis finally came through; this place is a giant time bomb!"

A chorus of alarmed "what?!" Echoed through the battle field.

"We can't survive in the atmosphere of space, the Great Beast is our only way out of here, not to mention that if she gets blown up, we'll get blown up along with her!" Lina shouted. "There's no way I'm going to miss out on mom's 'thank you for rescuing us' banquet because of some trap. We have to disable the bomb mechanism!" The task was, obviously, much easier said than done as the combat robots kept slowing their progress and there were only a few minutes left before the space station exploded and ended their journey through the over-world once and for all.

To be Continued


	23. Chapter 23

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 067: Crash! Don't Let The Setbacks Keep You Down

The space station shook with the vibrations of each passing second, as the time bomb neared its limit. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia and Milgazia, along with the unconscious Light, Labyrinthine and Onyx, returned to the entrance of the Great Beast to find it red hot in heat. The flickering hologram of Xellos was near the door, "the tunnel is stuck." His image dimmed and flickered then came back on, "cut it off along - the cables. The satellite is - melt - Great Beast!" He urged in warning.

Without a second to waste, the crew began to chip away at the tunnel, the cables and the tips of the wings and aerodynamic spikes of the Great Beast until the vessel was able to break free from the hold of the satellite bomb. As the Great Beast hastily moved away from the satellite, the crew held their breath and jumped in. However, something pulled them up from between the satellite bomb and the Great Beast. Ragudo Mezegis had arrived on the scene and was trying to steal away the whole crew. Yet another lost ship arrived, Gorun Nova, and surprisingly, he too tried to steal away the crew for his own vengeance, disregarding Ragudo Mezegis' strategy.

While the two enemy lost ships tossed the crew within their tractor beams, Zelas took the opportunity to retaliate. "Do a spin charge, Xellos, I'll handle the psy-cannon."

"But how will you aim, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos began to guide the vessel to spin rapidly similarly to how he did as a cone.

"Did I just hear you underestimate me?" Zelas focused all her energy in hitting Ragudo Mezegis despite the way her vessel was moving.

"Of course not, never!" Xellos immediately exclaimed as he guided the lost ship to spin faster.

The main psy-canon was shot, not as powerful as it would be with the crew to give it extra energy, but still powerful enough with Xellos and Zelas to fuel it. The beam hit its target dead on and as Ragudo Mezegis glowed red with heat, the Great Beast rammed into it, pushing the enemy lost ship into the satellite bomb. The explosive space station had become so hot that its metal armor fused into Ragudo Mezegis on impact. Finally reaching the critical point, it was about to explode.

The crew had been beamed up by Gorun Nova, who intended to take them prisoner. Inside the lost ship that was once the sword of light, Lina and the others gasped for air. The redhead looked around to see if everyone was there, Gourry and Amelia were as blue in the face as she was, but otherwise alright. Zelgadis, Filia and Milgazia fared a little better because of their cyborg components, though they obviously didn't like being tossed around like that. To Lina's surprise, Light, Labyrinthine and Onyx were also awake. Then again, they were tossed around so much that it would be hard not to be shaken awake by that. "Mom, dad, Onyx!" 

Before Lina could get to her feet and approach her parents to make certain beyond a doubt that they were indeed uninjured, several compartments opened in the walls of Gorun Nova and cables shot out to try to entrap the crew. However, they were swift to fight back with their psy-weapons. The battle didn't last long, as the explosion from the satellite sent waves of energy rippling across the area. Ragudo Mezegis was blown to pieces by the trap that had been set up for the Great Beast, while Gorun Nova and the Great Beast only withstood the aftershock of the explosion, having put some distance between themselves and its core.

While Zelas took control of the Great Beast's defenses, Xellos linked with Gorun Nova, using his viral properties to force the exit hatch open, then Zelas quickly beamed the crew back to her vessel. However, all of that happened while the aftershock of the explosion was still going on in waves, with pieces of the space station bomb and Ragudo Mezegis being thrown throughout the area. As a result, both the Great Beast and Gorun Nova were thrown back and caught in the gravity of a near by planet. The two ships crossed the atmosphere with Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Filia, Milgazia, Onyx, Light and Labyrinthine being tossed around inside the Great Beast.

Since Gorun Nova was considerably less damaged than the Great Beast, he managed to take control of his trajectory and decided to retreat for the time being. Even though the Great Beast had been heavily damaged, she had the whole crew within her to power her systems and Gorun Nova knew that was very dangerous. As for the Great Beast, the lost ship plummeted towards the planet whose gravity had captured her and crashed into a mountain forest area.

"Ow..." Lina complained painfully. "Did anyone break anything?"

"I would guess not, the anti-gravitational system kicked in at the last minute and cushioned your fall." Xellos cheerfully informed; he was just as chipper as ever despite the poor condition of the ship.

"It's too bad the main engine couldn't go back online," Zelas voiced with an eerie calm. Everyone was quiet, observing with worry the light twitch that they had never seen the ever nonchalant Zelas present. "Why does my vessel have to get trashed after every single fight? How do you creatures even stand having physical forms when they're this troublesome?!" She yelled, then after her little outburst, she took a deep breath and once again adopted her usual cool, calm and collected demeanor. 

"You can't go charging in recklessly when your body's not made of pure energy," Lina robbed a sore spot on her head. "Just so you know, mine isn't either!"

"Oh well, at least we're in one peace and the horrible nightmares are over," Labyrinthine breathe. "By the way, Lina, I'm definitely making a big dinner for you when you're done with your latest adventure!"

"Alright!" Lina cheered, instantly feeling much better upon the thought of food. "Thanks mom!"

"I never doubted you for a second, Lina, I knew you'd save us and your sister," Light congratulated.

Lina went pale. "Luna? But she's not here; we didn't find her, only the three of you." A frightening thought occurred to her that Luna's soul might have been contained deeper inside the space station and destroyed along with it and Ragudo Mezegis. 

Light picked up the mysterious cube that they had found before with the pictures of crescent moons on it. It had fallen out of the compartment where it was kept and been tossed around inside the Great Beast along with everyone else. "Your sister is right here, safe and sound. Can't you tell it's her?"

Everyone stared in disbelief. "Luna?!" Lina loudly exclaimed, then laughed nervously as the crescent moon cube glowed. "Of course I can tell it's her, she is my dear sister after all. I knew it all along, that's why I did such a great job keeping her soul safe. Anyway, as soon as the Great Beast is up and running again, we can drop you off at our world and you can restore Luna's soul to her body."

"Or we could tag along with you and I can relive my days as a mercenary," Light suggested.

However, Labyrinthine was quick to disagree, "honey! We have a store to manage and besides, who will water my garden while we're gone? Then there's grape harvesting season to get ready for. I'm afraid Lina will just have to do without your sword and my magic, but that's okay, she's a big girl and can take care of herself, plus she has all her friends and her beloved Gourry to look after her."

Lina felt a deep pain in her heart when her mother assumed that she and Gourry were together again. Though he made no comment to deny her assumption, it might not matter much because he probably missed it altogether. "Oh... alright," Lina's father agreed, reaching the same conclusion as her mother in terms of their youngest daughter's relationship. Yet all of that also made Lina think about how Gourry had always been there for her even after their break up and never once deserted her. She had to fix things with him, she simply had to and she had finally mustered up the confidence to bring up the subject... sometime soon.

Zelgadis had gotten curious about a certain aspect of the story that didn't quite fit and asked. "How did all of you get captured anyway?"

"I got sucked into a portal that appeared at Dragon's Peak and was caught before I had time to react. Not a very interesting story," Onyx grumbled.

"As for us, a monster called Erosnum has been rounding up minions in our world," Light revealed. 

"He attacked Zephilia and though we fought him, he managed to send us to the over-world where we were captured by Darkstar's minion," Labyrinthine elaborated.

"Wasn't Luna's body in Zephilia?" Milgazia recalled with worry.

"Don't worry about that, when we sensed danger we prepared for it. I had the alchemist from down the street make a copy of Luna's body," Light explained. 

Labyrinthine continued, "since her body was an empty vessel, no copy of her mind was created, only an empty homunculus."

"Your little friends, the pink haired young man and the polite shrine maiden agreed to hide the real Luna in his kingdom, while we kept the homunculus at Zephilia, pretending it was the original. Erosnum destroyed it, but Luna's real body is still safe at Taforashia," Light finished.

"That sounds like... Pokota and Sylphiel!" Lina realized. "I guess we have them to be thankful to. Somehow, even if I wasn't there, Luna would have totally blamed me if anything happened to her body. Ah well, we better get going then."

"We're not going anywhere," Zelas informed with a serious face.

"Another ultimatum? What more do you want?" Lina frowned.

"Not something you can give," Zelas replied with annoyance. "I want to be astral again and not have to worry about having a vessel that's constantly in need of repairs. According to Canal's stories, she didn't even get into a state like this until the final battle and it's been get fixed and get broken constantly all the time since I got here!"

"I guess it's a good thing you weren't turned into a human, they're not this easy to repair." Lina sighed, though she did get Zelas' point and as she was their only mode of transportation, the pattern was getting frustrating.

"You are strong, but so is the enemy, so it can't be helped," Milgazia quietly voiced.

"Frankly, I can't wait to get my revenge on Darkstar done and over with so I can go home and take out my frustrations on all the people of the world," Zelas growled. "And that traitorous Erosnum is going to get it too!"

"After this is over, we're going to spend the rest of our lives going out of our way to appease Zelas' wrath, aren't we?" Filia sighed hopelessly.

"Yes we are," Xellos happily chirped.

Just as they were trying to figure out what to do next, a man with wild black hair, wearing an orange martial arts outfit, peeked in through the opened hatch of the Great Beast. "I knew I sensed living people in here. Your energy is pretty unusual. Are you guys okay? It looks like you crashed pretty badly." His obvious question reminded everyone of Gourry, which was not exactly a good start if they were hoping to find skilled mechanics to hire towards the repairs of the Great Beast. The mysterious man paused as he looked at Zelas and Xellos with curiosity. "Why is it that I can't sense your energy?"

"Must be because we're machines," Zelas informed. "You seem to have quite a bit of energy in you, though it's a tad too innocent for my liking. Something fiercer in the same volume might suit me better."

"Huh?" The man in orange blinked in confusion. "Wait a minute... Are you here to take over the planet?"

"Not really," Zelas informed, curiously sensing how the man's energy level increased at the thought and settled down again at her negative reply. He had quite a deal of hidden power in him, though it was different from the power of her world. 'If he was in my world, he'd have a tremendous pool and bucket capacity, but he'd probably be too dumb to know how to use it to cast any complex spells,' she mused. "Are there any engineers familiar with space ships in this planet?"

"Oh yes!" The man happily exclaimed, generally in a better mood now that he had confirmed that the strangers didn't want to take over the planet, or at least they claimed they weren't interested in that goal. "My friend Bulma is great with space ships. I'm sure she can transport your ship to her place and fix it up. Oh, by the way, I'm Goku, what are your names?"

"I am Beast Master Zelas Metallium, a monster lord from another world, this is my general priest Xellos Metallium and my crew," Zelas introduced each of them in her own way. "Lina Inverse, the dragon spooker," Beast Master ignored Lina's protests at the name and continued. "Gourry the clueless sword genius." Missing the ironic insult in the introduction, Gourry only smiled. "Amelia the obnoxious princess of justice, Zelgadis, alias Mr. Pouty," Zelgadis tried not to pout in annoyance, but he was too late in stopping himself. "Filia the clumsy," Filia expected such an introduction from Zelas and held her tongue. "Milgazia, the dull, Onyx the wallflower. The bringers of chaos and destruction Light and Labyrinthine," though it was a reference to their status as Lina's parents, the Inverse couple actually thought their introduction sounded cool. "Last and certainly least, Luna, the paperweight wonder!" The crescent moon cube vibrated as Zelas mocked her current form.

"Wow, you even named the paperweight," Goku stared at the odd bunch in amazement. "I'm not sure if I can remember all those names," he admitted.

"It's okay, I forget people's names all the time," Gourry voiced sympathetically. 

xoxox xox xoxox

The Great Beast was transported to Capsule Corp. which was located in a large city. There, a woman named Bulma with blue-green hair, who was the president of the corporation, seemed to be having fun working on the lost ship's repairs. An explosion from near by caught Zelas attention while her crew and Xellos seemed to be entertained enough playing golf with Bulma's father or baking cookies with her mother. She investigated to find a blond man and two blond boys. Yet their hair changed, and in seconds, it was no longer golden. From the two boys, one was a nearly identical, albeit smaller, version of Goku and the other had lavender hair. A man with spiky flame shaped black hair seemed to be angry at them over the explosion which occurred around them, although they barely had a few scratches and bruises. The man was saying something about his gravity room and training. 

Zelas got the impression that if Val and Palou got together with those two boys, they could double or even triple their chaos. The two boys were surrounded by auras of energy and, after hastily making apologies; they flew off as if carried away by a Raywing spell. The man huffed and walked off, paying no mind to Zelas, whom he assumed was another of Bulma's guests from that ship she was working on. Zelas detected his energy signature, it was like Goku's in magnitude, but different in consistency. It wasn't pure darkness, but it had its dark side and, given the vast amount of energy he possessed, he could be useful. He had said something about training, which gave Zelas an idea. 

The cunning hologram disappeared and reappeared right in front of the man's path. "Hello, you were saying something about training?"

"Unless you have an advanced gravity chamber in your ship that's still functional, I have no interest in talking," the man informed.

Zelas grinned, "straight to the point I see. She focused her senses on him. You have quite a fighter's instinct that's almost wild and the desire to compete; there is a rival you want to beat."

The man looked at the strange woman curiously, though his expression didn't change, remaining serious and uninterested. Even if she could sense his energy, she could tell a whole lot just with that. "And?" He challenged. He couldn't sense any living energy from this creature, yet somehow his instinct told him she held an immense power.

Zelas chuckled softly. This was not a human, but he was similar enough. His pool capacity was immense and he was smarter than that other one, though still more of a physical fighter than this world's equivalent of a spell caster. She could very easily tap into his wild side and desire to fight, creatures such as this one made very useful pawns for Beast Master. Yet she was not a monster now, she was a lost ship and things worked differently with that condition. She still felt the limitations of being a digital creature confined to the functionality of a space ship. Even so, there was something she could do to put his energy to good use. "I have a proper room that you can use to train in within my ship, even while repairs are going on in other areas of it." It was the training chamber the crew used to practice with their psy-weapons, fortified with extra defenses and inner armor. Since it was inside the ship, it wasn't really damaged as the outer areas were. "I can control the gravity and atmospheric conditions in it to make things more challenging, high gravity, thin oxygen..."

"Sounds good," the man grinned.

"Very well, follow me then, and just out of curiosity, what is your name?" Zelas inquired as she led the way back to her vessel.

"Vegeta, prince of the saiyans," the man replied.

"A prince, eh?" She chuckled, not that it mattered in the end. "I am Beast Master Zelas Metallium, a supernatural creature known as a monster lord from an alternate world."

Vegeta laughed slightly, "I've seen so many strange things I'm not even going to doubt your word."

As they entered the lost ship, they passed Bulma, who was adjusting some circuitry. "This ship's got a killer CPU," she commented to Zelas. "Although I have to work around some things since it can't be shut down completely, only in limited sections at a time. It's as if it was alive..."

"I am," Zelas replied.

"Oh, yes, of course, although I mean in more ways than only being sentient." Curious, the scientist inquired. "Where you originally a human who was turned into an AI?"

"I was originally a monster lord, a creature of pure energy from another world," Zelas truthfully informed.

Bulma paused as if debating what to say, then decided to take her word for it. "That's pretty interesting."

"What's more interesting are her claims about her training room, which I want to see for myself sometime today. Oh, and the gravity room is broken again," Vegeta impatiently informed.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips and glared as her temper flared and Zelas detected it. "I told you to be careful!"

"It was the brats," Vegeta argued.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 068: Energy! A Heart That Can't Forgive

Bulma showed no fear in presenting an argument against a creature who had much more energy than she did, it kind of reminded Zelas of Filia. "You should have taught Trunks and Goten to be careful, so they wouldn't get into the habit of blowing up the gravity room like you!" Vegeta only grunted in response, while Bulma continued, waving her right index finger back and forth in front of his face, her left hand still on her hip. "You'll just have to wait until I'm done fixing this fascinating space ship. For all I know I could have stumbled upon one of the legendary lost ships! They say that at full power these things could destroy a whole galaxy!" Bulma's eyes shone with delight because of the technological advancements, rather than the destruction, or at least that was what Vegeta assumed.

The saiyan prince grunted, "a legendary lost ship, ha! I'm surprised you've even heard of them in this planet. I guess it's a pretty far reaching legend, but there's no such thing. Those ships, although capable of blowing up a planet, had a different way to destroy galaxies. The legend says that they could drain away the life force of all of a planet's inhabitants in a day or two, leaving a whole galaxy desolate in little over a week, without damaging the planet's resources and structures, targeting only sentient life forms. Such a ship would have been very effective in conquering and trading planets, even more effective than sending mercenary squads to clear out civilizations. The ships of legend could attack from afar, they wouldn't miss any life forces that could sneak away from scouters and the purge would be done very neatly. Freeza spent a good deal of time looking for one of those, but never found it."

"Well I could have!" Bulma pouted.

"As I understand, you didn't even find this ship, Kakarot introduced you to the crew," Vegeta pointed out.

Bulma huffed, "oh, go train and quit bothering me, I'm busy." She turned back to her ever fascinating repair work.

Vegeta grunted and followed Zelas to another area of the ship. The lost ships were said to have lost power after the first war, which resulted in vast injuries to Dugradigdu, the banishment of his minions to an alternate world where they became weapons of light and the general decrease in power for both the light and dark lost ships. If only there was a way to recover the power of legend the talks of which reached out to areas so far away from the main conflict. Well, at least Zelas had a vast energy source to get started with as she and Vegeta entered the training chamber. "Here we are."

"Doesn't look all that special," Vegeta commented, the inside of the room reminded him of his gravity chamber, except it didn't have the gravity device in the middle, instead it was completely empty.

"We'll see..." Zelas grinned like a jungle cat with her prey just where she wanted it. "Shall we begin with the gravity at five hundred Gs? Oh, and I'm lowering the oxygen output a little and draining a portion," a rather large portion, "of your energy, just to make it more of a challenge."

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at Capsule Corp. "Vegeta!" Goku called out to the other saiyan as he hurried towards the lost ship parked in Bulma's yard. 

"Goku?" Bulma blinked, curious about what he was rushing for, just barely able to tare her eyes away from her ever interesting work. 

"Bulma?" Goku had been so focused on Vageta's energy that he didn't even realize Bulma was there until he saw her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay; you wouldn't believe the technology on this ship. I doubt I could ever build anything like it, even if I had the full detailed blueprints. This is indeed more than just a sentient machine, it's so much more," Bulma squealed with excitement. "But what about you? You looked a bit alarmed for a minute there."

"Oh..." Goku laughed lightly, placing a hand behind his head. "Well, it's just that Vegeta's energy felt weird, like it was being drained away, so I thought our guests decided to take over the planet after all and I came to fight, although I don't sense them being evil, the ones I can actually sense at least. Anyway, if you're so calm, I guess that I worried over nothing. Looks like Vegeta is doing some kind of training. I got to say, this would be a super tough fight if it had really been a fight."

"But it's training, Zelas, the main AI of this vessel, is letting him use her training chamber. Maybe it's just as a thank you for my hard work, but I got the impression she was getting something out of it too. Now that you mentioned Vegeta's energy being drained, maybe Zelas can do that and store the energy to use it herself. It wouldn't be the first time we encounter technology capable of that and the Great Beast is a lot more advanced than anything I've ever seen before," Bulma mused.

Goku pouted, "that's not fair! I want in on the special training too!" Following Vegeta's energy source, Goku rushed to the training room. 

Bulma rolled her eyes, "well, if the Great Beast can be powered with energy, she'll get plenty out of this." 'It shouldn't be bad though,' the scientist added as an after thought. 'Goku said he didn't sense any evil from our guests. He can't sense the AIs, since they are mechanical, but if their companions are not evil, neither should be the AIs, right?'

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile in the living quarters of Capsule Corp., Lina and Gourry were enjoying the food Mrs. Briefs was cooking. Ever the kind host, she kept serving dish after dish of delicious food, much to Lina and Gourry's delight. Labyrinthine had taken to helping her in the kitchen and they were merrily exchanging and combining recipes, with Lina and Gourry having volunteered to taste them all. "Lina, Gourry, there you are!" Amelia rushed in wearing a peculiar costume consisting of a tight black body suit with a pink martial arts shirt over it and a band around the waist, boots, gloves and a helmet. "Miss Briefs, Miss Labyrinthine, hello!" The Seyruun princess cheerfully greeted the others as she took off her helmet, though her cheer was easily recognizable to her friends even with her face hidden. 

"Hello dear," Labyrinthine greeted. 

"Oh my!" Mrs. Briefs clapped her hands together. "It looks like Gohan's little crime fighting group got some new members, how lovely!"

"Join us in our crusade of justice!" Amelia raised her fist in the air in excitement.

A similarly dressed man stood next to her, looking rather embarrassed and shifting uncomfortably. Lina and Gourry watched with curiosity, with a chuckling Lina inquiring, "is that you, Zel?"

"Who else?" Zelgadis admitted, still hiding his blushing face under his helmet. He had to admit his armor was better than this costume, but Amelia insisted that they should all dress similarly and her new friends, Gohan and Videl, agreed. He too was wearing a costume like Amelia, except his shirt was gray instead of pink.

"Will you join us?" Amelia hopefully requested.

"I think I'll pass," Lina decided not surprisingly.

"Me too, I mean, we're already very busy helping out as taste testers, we can't just leave with our mission unfinished," Gourry agreed.

"Aw, but Gohan was teaching us how to levitate without casting spells!" Amelia whined.

Lina blinked in surprise. "We can do that?"

"Justice can accomplish anything!" Amelia happily declared.

Gohan stepped forward with a bit of an explanation. "Amelia told us about the magic you can use in your world. It sounds like all you need to do is focus and command your energy with your mind to get it to do what you want there. Here you have to synchronize your mind and body and bring out your energy, coax it out so to speak, rather than command it to react."

"That's fascinating," Lina looked as if she was considering going with them, but it was just an act, as she soon smiled and concluded, "but culinary research is calling my name!"

"But you'll be able to learn how to use levitation in this world!" Amelia insisted. "Plus you'll get your own costume too!" Though the Seyruun princess thought the costume was a fine motivation, it was all the opposite. 

"No thanks..." Lina replied flatly.

"Your loss..." Amelia turned away in disappointment, though she soon cheered up and valiantly declared. "It's okay, my comrades, we can defend the city ourselves. For justice!"

"For justice!" Gohan and Videl cheered along with Amelia.

"I didn't hear someone," Amelia hinted, clearly referring to Zelgadis. "For justice!" She cheered once more.

"For justice!" Gohan, Videl and this time also Zelgadis joined in, though he was no where near as enthusiastic as the others.

xoxox xox xoxox

Eventually Lina was dragged to the levitation lessons and did get the hang of staying afloat. Although that whole coaxing her energy to carry her concept was difficult and she wondered how Gohan could so easily wield his massive bucket capacity without as much as a concentration chant. Obviously, he was no ordinary human. Overall, the redhead felt that the lesson did somehow help her understand how to wield her energy better in the over-world, which would prove to be useful, as the battles weren't getting any easier. 

After the repairs on the Great Beast were finished and Zelas had stocked up on energy drained from the two sparring saiyans, the Slayers were once again ready to be on their way. Everything seemed to fall into what had become their normal routine from there, chaotic, yet not strange for them. But of course, any semblance of normalcy with that peculiar group couldn't last too long.

"I have received reports of a portal we can use to make a stop at our world." Zelas informed as they traveled through space.

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Milgazia, Onyx, Light, Labyrinthine, Filia and of course, Xellos, were all there. "A message from Canal?" Lina curiously inquired.

"No, a message from one of the humans allied to me, he and his gang originally came from a planet in this world, having fallen through a portal that formed as a side effect of the energy shockwaves during the previous Darkstar battle. They have returned to the place from where they came, a planet filled with strange animals capable of wielding elemental magic. The leader knew of what was happening and gathered information for me, though future business transactions will be difficult, as we'll be in different worlds, our dealings were overall mutually beneficial. The new portal is actually on the atmosphere of the planet and it is quite large. The energy waves around it are massive so the radars can't pick up much else except it; albeit a regular ship wouldn't be able to accurate tell what the portal is. Prepare for a jump, we'll be there in just a few minutes," Zelas announced.

The Great Beast made a short light speed leap that caused the vessel to reappear close to the portal. However, what they found was not only the portal but also Gorun Nova. "Is that Gorun Nova?" Gourry asked as he stared at the image displayed on the large main screen of the Great Beast's control room.

"Yes it is," Zelas replied with a defiance that was directed at her foe rather than the one who asked the question. "I was warned about this, but here I am. There is no need to wait until we're caught in a fight. Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis have all been defeated. The only one that remains on Darkstar's side is Gorun Nova."

"I was waiting for you, I knew you'd come here." Gorun Nova sent a transmission, which was surprisingly not voice only. His image was similar to Gourry, with the same face, eyes and body, but his hair was blue. Zelas found his eagerness to fight suspicious after having run away before. Surely he was plotting something.

Milgazia stared in surprise at Gorun Nova's human projection. "Why... Why do you look like this?"

Lina snapped her fingers and pointed at the screen as the image clicked in her mind. "You look like a grown up Rowdy!"

"Rowdy?" Gourry mused on the name for a moment. "That sounds familiar..."

"Maybe because he's your ancestor!" Lina reminded.

"Oh yeah, grandpa Rowdy, now I remember!" Gourry finally recalled. In a sudden burst of logic he realized something else. "If Gorun Nova is the sword of light, then he must have traveled with grandpa in the past before he traveled with me."

"That is true, I did travel with the human called Rowdy Gabriev," Gorun Nova confirmed. "However, this appearance is not because of him."

"Flagoon..." Milgazia suddenly voiced.

"So you do remember that name..." Gorun Nova commented.

"Of course I remember," Milgazia affirmed. "You look like Flagoon, except for the obvious gender difference, but why?"

"To remember her..." Gorun Nova vaguely explained. "She was the only one who acknowledged me, she was..." He stopped and glared at the group through the visuals on the screen. "My past is none of your business. You weren't there, you wouldn't understand."

"I was there," Milgazia reminded.

"You still wouldn't understand!" Gorun Nova growled. "Not you who encouraged her to abandon me and didn't even take her for yourself."

Gorun Nova's bitter accusation brought back a memory to Milgazia. There had been a time when Flagoon asked him something peculiar. "Do you think it's strange that I love this sword so much? He's not just a powerful sword to me, he is my closest companion. Is it wrong of me to love it?"

Milgazia, not realizing just how far Gorun Nova's feelings and sentience went had laughed in good humor. "I have heard that knights often get attached to their swords. But a sword is just a sword, no matter how powerful it may be. You should find companionship in people." Remembering his own words, Milgazia felt that he had sounded cruel for not counting Gorun Nova as a person, even if he didn't mean to say anything out of malice. "Gorun Nova..." Milgazia returned to the present, speaking with sincerity. "I must apologize for treating you as a mere sword. Flagoon was the only one who could understand, who could feel, that you are much more than a weapon, that you're a living and sentient being. I didn't know, I didn't understand and although saying this now may be too late, I am sorry."

Gorun Nova huffed and disregarded the dragon elder. "You were but an ignorant sheltered creature at the time, trying to be a leader though you still had so much to learn. Flagoon taught you a lot, but you never learned completely. However, it is not your ignorance that I cannot forgive, Milgazia; it is Gourry that I hate the most!" Gorun Nova glared at the stunned swordsman. "You mastered all the sword techniques of Flagoon, even going as far as being capable of standing up to powerful magic users with my strength combined with yours."

Lina was inevitably reminded of when Gourry had been taken over during their struggle against Fibrizo and how they had such a hard time fighting against him, even before they discovered his true identity when they had no known reason to hold back. Yet right now the look in his eyes was, if possible, even more lost and it made her worry about him.

"You, Gourry Gabriev, dared to live up to Flagoon in skill but not in honor," Gorun Nova accused. "You dared to set out on a journey to improve your skills and be a hero, just like the warrior of light of the stories you were told as a child. The stories were a tad far from the truth at times, yet they still held the essence of Flagoon. You wanted to be like her while not being able to grasp who she really was. For so long you traveled without a word to me as if I was nothing but an unworthy companion, I who had watched over Flagoon's descendants, even if I could not have her to myself. You hid my true blade and wielded me with the iron of an ordinary sword, as if I was a thing to be ashamed of. Then you called upon my power when you were in desperate need of it and always without a single word of thanks. I was lost, I was nearly destroyed and you never tried so hard as Flagoon to recover me when we were apart, even if it was just as a mere family heirloom."

Finally waking from his pained shock, Gourry's face was filled with the deepest sorrow. "I'm sorry! I can never explain how sorry I am, Gorun Nova. I understand if you can't forgive me because I treated you so badly, but please understand that I really mean it, I really do regret the way I acted. I was a fool, I was cruel, I was ungrateful, I was terrible!"

"I can never forgive you, Gourry Gabriev. You are unworthy to be Flagoon's heir, only your death will satisfy me!" Gorun Nova shouted angrily. "It was you who sent me back here, it was you who set things in motion for me to eventually be forced to serve under Darkstar again in this meaningless existence away from Flagoon's world. Don't you know where she went after her passing? To the Sea of Chaos, to where it all begins and ends. She would have been reborn into that same world and I could have reunited again with her. It was but a small chance, but you stole that away from me. She would have known me somehow; she would have treated me with care and acknowledged me and next time... Next time I wouldn't allow anyone to steal her away or give her away to be stolen. It would only be the two of us journeying together as in the start. Only me and my Flagoon..."

A tense pause hung in the air as Amelia whispered a realization. "He loves her..."

Gourry's face was downcast for a long moment, until he finally looked up with tears in his eyes. "I understand, Gorun Nova. I understand that you can never forgive me and I truly can never ask you to. I treated you terribly and I-"

"No, Gourry!" Lina interrupted. "You didn't know! Gorun Nova, you're being unfair. Gourry didn't know how you felt. He would have treated you differently if he even knew you could feel."

"Lina, stop," Lina was shocked into silence at Gourry's command; he had never used such a forceful tone with her. His eyes softened and he added, "please, Lina, don't defend me, I don't deserve it and it'll only make me feel worse. Gorun Nova, it is true that I didn't realize how you felt, but then, no one was there to tell Flagoon about your true nature and yet she knew, she sensed it. She had a kind and open heart that I lacked. I understand that I am beyond forgiveness because I separated you from the one you love and poisoned her sweet memories with my cruel ignorance. Please, Gorun Nova, take only me and let the others go."

"Unacceptable," Gorun Nova snarled, "you will all die!"

"No we won't!" Lina yelled back. "I won't let you hurt Gourry or any of my friends. The captain is ready for combat, energy output at maximum! I won't let Gorun Nova keep hurting Gourry. Take my energy, Zelas, Xellos, take it all, take all my energy and turn that chunk of scrap metal into space dust!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 069: Sorrow! Fear The Fear Itself

Zelas knew that Gorun Nova must have some kind of plan, perhaps something involving the portal or the near by planet, but she wasn't going to back out now. There was only one more minion of Darkstar left to defeat. Canal had actually honored her decision to be the one to defeat them, perhaps more so because the battles would hopefully awaken her true power more than anything else. This was the last obstacle before the time came to face Darkstar. "The main psy-canon is online!" Zelas eagerly announced.

"I can still give more power, take it all!" Lina desperately called out, surrounded by a red hot aura that was more so protective than angry.

'Defend and attack at once,' Zelas reminded herself. Lina's energy would be a harsh hit on a dark lost ship. 

"No, don't!" Gourry pleaded, but it was too late.

"Fire!" Zelas shot her main psy-canon at Gorun Nova.

The large blast of light was followed by many smaller ones. "The new secondary psy-laser system is working, rain of stars!" Xellos cheered, making a pose as he called out the name of the attack, which was all just for show.

"I blame it on those TV shows..." Zelas quietly commented, referring to Xellos' outburst.

Yet when the light finally faded away, Gorun Nova was unharmed. "How can this be?" Lina demanded to know, while Gourry let out a breath of relief.

"I'll tell you how, since there's nothing you can do about it anyway." Gorun Nova revealed the truth behind his secret plans, confident that they could not be stopped. "I spread many microchips in this portal and by doing so I can control it to an extent, or at least this side of it. Don't even think about trying to deactivate them, there are too many and the interference of chaotic energy won't allow any hacking. The portal will receive all the energy you throw at me, redirecting it into your world. In other words, you just attacked your own world!"

"Oh no!" Amelia exclaimed in worry. 

"We could be hurting innocent people," Filia realized in horror.

Zelas shrugged, "do you really think a monster lord will be concerned with a little collateral damage?" She disregarded the possible consequences of that last blast. That energy wasn't all that dark, but it was enough to overload most living creatures with sheer power and kill them, but really, it's not a big deal. Though some of my minions here may think it is, it doesn't bother me and it won't stop me from fighting!"

"I expected that," Gorun Nova countered. "Go ahead and keep firing away. You'll just run out of energy, you won't be able to touch me. Eventually, I will win and you will all die. I'll make it especially painful for you, Gourry Gabriev!"

"No you won't!" Lina argued defensively, gritting her teeth and glaring, her aura turning more aggressive. "Zelas, Xellos, let's try this again, but with everyone's energy." Protests were heard throughout the now crowded control room. "Just take their energy, I know you can. I'm your main minion-"

"I am!" Xellos felt the need to interrupt.

"Alright," Lina was certainly not in the mood for a petty argument at the time. "I'm your second main minion after Xellos, and I'm saying I'm willing to give you my energy and everyone's. Take it; I'll still back you up afterwards. We can overload those chips before they redirect the power into our world and end this cowardly trick once and for all!"

"Lina, that's enough out of you, young lady," Light scolded.

"Settle down and calm yourself, Lina. If your sister could say something now, she would be so upset," Labyrinthine warned.

Lina shivered visibly as she saw the crescent moon cube vibrating from the corner of her eye. "I... I'm just trying to keep us all safe!"

"You're freaking out," Zelgadis stated bluntly.

"Then what can we do?" Lina retorted in a huff.

"I know you a rarely," Amelia began, "okay, more like never," she amended, "consider the damage your power will do to the area around the battle field, but this time the range is too big and the effects too unpredictable." 

"Amelia is right," Filia agreed. "Let's come up with a strategy here before we accidentally blow up Seyruun or Zephilia or Zoana or some other place."

Lina took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "What can we do? Go on the retreat again and strategize one more time?"

"No," Zelas firmly decided. "I will not retreat. I will see this battle to the very end and I will win. Overloading the chips is a good idea and that's all we have for now." Compartments opened all around the walls of the control room with many strong cables and mechanical claws springing out of them. "Either you give me your energy willingly, or I take it from you."

"Not this again!" Filia exclaimed in alarm.

"This type of forceful energy won't work. Gorun Nova is a dark lost ship, he can absorb negative psy-energy, so even if you manage to take out the microchips, then you won't be able to gather our energy for an effective attack," Milgazia tried to reason.

"It doesn't matter; I'll just use Lina's well intended concern for the finishing blow," Zelas decided. The claws and cables wrapped themselves around the crew that desperately tried to break free.

"Wait, Zelas!" Lina tried to stop her, but was captured along with the others. "Your second main minion tells you to wait!" She insisted desperately. "Milgazia has a point; I too will only be able to produce negative energy under these circumstances. This strategy won't work, we can't risk our world!" Back to her senses after her outburst, Lina tried to reason with Zelas. "Didn't you want to rule our world? That won't be possible if it's destroyed. Besides, we won't have any happy thoughts left in us to throw out against Darkstar and then you won't be able to get your revenge!"

Onyx closed her eyes, not struggling against her captivity. "There is nothing to fear, but we must fear anyway."

"What do you mean there's nothing to fear?" Filia exclaimed. "What if they blow up Dragon's Peak, Phythan and your friends are there, don't you care?"

Zelas chuckled, "for a wallflower, she can be pretty perceptive."

"Having problems with your crew, Zelas?" Gorun Nova taunted. "Hurry up and make your move if you dare!"

Zelas grinned with wicked cunning. "I already have... Isn't there someone missing from our little team?"

They all automatically looked around to see who it was. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Milgazia, Onyx, Light, Labyrinthine, the Luna cube and of course, Zelas, were all there. "Raw garbage?" Filia called out, her voice sounding more so confused than angry.

"Special delivery for Gorun Nova!" Xellos appeared on the screen next to Gorun Nova's projection. "We may not be able to hack into the microchips inside the portal, but we can hack into you!"

Gorun Nova's hologram flickered as he glared at Xellos and growled, "get out!" The minion of Darkstar tried to clean out the viral invasion from his systems, but it was futile. 

"You should be thanking me," Zelas mocked sarcastically. "After all, I'm giving all this dark energy to you." She released the crew from her hold.

"I see, now what Onyx said makes sense," Milgazia realized. "You were trying to push us to produce negative energy, but why?"

"I only figured out her plan that far," Onyx admitted. The quiet elf could be pretty observant if she tried. 

"An explanation would be nice right about now," Lina impatiently added. "What's this about giving our energy to Gorun Nova? That's dark energy, even if you avoid having the microchips redirect the energy by transferring it directly to Gorun Nova, it'll just make him stronger."

"I'm not transferring it to his energy storage systems," Zelas revealed. "Xellos' special delivery will transfer all the dark energy into Gorun Nova's core CPU and infect his main AI programming like a virus. In other words, I'll be doing to him what dark lost ships usually do to their captive captains, filling his mind with pain and fear!"

"Would that really work on a dark lost ship?" Zelgadis wondered.

"In this case yes, and it was Amelia who came up with the idea," Zelas chuckled mockingly.

"Me?" Amelia nearly squeaked in surprise. "But I didn't even realize what your plan was until you told us," the advocate of justice admitted.

"You said Gorun Nova loved Flagoon," Zelas reminded. "If that is so, if he can feel love then..."

Xellos returned to the Great Beast and saluted as his hologram was once again projected inside the vessel's control room. "Mission accomplished!"

"As I thought," Zelas looked wickedly victorious and Xellos' eyes opened for a split second with a very monster-like look in them. "Gorun Nova's time being exposed to our world and its magic changed him. He is no longer purely a dark lost ship. He is capable of positive emotions too. Besides, Gorun Nova himself confirmed it. He spoke as if he really cared for Flagoon. He felt used by the Gabriev family. He felt betrayed and abandoned by Gourry. He is not immune to such emotions. Even if he wields the power of darkness because of his original form, there is also light in him. It is a light that he never learned to control and will be his downfall. If Gorun Nova feels love as a human does, then he can also feel heartbreak, pain, fear and sorrow!"

Gorun Nova's holographic projection flickered continuously the whole time; in a mess of static with no defined shape. Then finally, it stopped, but the expression upon his face was of pure pain. "Any creature that has emotions can be used as fuel for a lost ship," Xellos elaborated. "Though many mistakenly assume it, no one ever said that the creature had to be fully or even partially biological. Gorun Nova has become a truly sentient being that overcame his initial limitations. He is able to produce his own energy too, but he never learned how to take advantage of that. Now he is trapped in the power he thought was his."

"This is..." Amelia felt like she was choking on her words. "This is too harsh for justice. He knows what it's like now." She closed her eyes and tried to block out Gorun Nova's pained voice. "He knows what it was like for the people who had their lives drained away by the dark lost ships. He knows their pain and he has felt pain of his own, isn't this enough?"

"This is more than enough," Filia agreed. "Gorun Nova has already atoned, he has already learned what pain is even before now. He knew joy; he knew sorrow, now he needs to know mercy."

"I think that what they're trying to say is, release him," Zelgadis summarized.

"I can't," Zelas replied with an evil grin still present on her face. "I didn't think you'd actually want to rescue the enemy, so I didn't think of a counter strategy for this."

A chorus of alarmed, "what?" Were heard.

"Xellos, do something!" Lina demanded.

"I can't do anything," Xellos truthfully admitted, his cheerful smile still in place. "I'm not lying; I honestly can't help Gorun Nova. Even if I tried to clean out the negativity from his systems, a chain reaction has already been set in motion and Gorun Nova himself keeps producing more negative energy that leaks into his core programming. The only one who can conquer this pain is Gorun Nova himself." The purple haired hologram explained. "Although..." he added thoughtfully, "it doesn't look like he's doing very well at that task."

"At this rate, his systems will overload and crash in such a way that his AI programming will be corrupted," Zelas concluded. "In other words, he'll be ruined and destroyed. His vessel will still be there, but his mind will be shattered and the one known as Gorun Nova will be nothing but a lifeless corpse."

"No..." Lina whispered in regret. Gourry would surely be devastated. "I'm so sorry, Gourry, if only I had... Gourry?" The redhead frantically looked around for the blond swordsman but couldn't see him anywhere. "Where did Gourry go? He was here a minute ago."

Xellos shrugged, "I don't know, maybe he had to go to the bathroom."

"Who could think about going to the bathroom at a time like this?" Lina shouted, losing her temper.

"Actually, if you had been paying attention," Zelas pointed out. "You would have noticed that he snuck off while we were talking, put on a space suit and left the ship. Look," Zelas zoomed in on the image on Gorun Nova's side. "He's boarding Gorun Nova right now."

"What!?" Lina screamed in alarm.

"Oh, relax, he's just fine," Xellos laughed. "Gorun Nova is in no condition to attack, so even if Gourry is inside the vessel, he's not in any real danger. Unless of course he manages to do something particularly stupid, but I can't imagine what that would be."

"This is Gourry we're talking about, he can!" Lina screeched urgently. Though it sounded like an insult to Gourry's intellect, everyone knew that Lina was only saying it out of care and concern.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Gourry managed to pry open one of the entry hatches to Gorun Nova and quickly made his way to the control room. He arrived at the control room where the flickering hologram of Gorun Nova was the image of suffering. He didn't know what button to press to help. He hadn't even been able to learn how to use that machine that could make cappuccinos that Zelas had in her vessel. He reached for the complex controls anyway, but quickly withdrew his hand when sparks flew from the panel's surface. It didn't look like the controls would be responsive anyway. The whole vessel shock and short-circuited. It was not enough to cause a chain reaction that would make Gorun Nova blow up or severely endanger Gourry's life, but it was a sign that the AI didn't have a lot of time left. 

Looking around the room, Gourry spotted the captain's chair with some strange device on top of it. It looked like that machine Lina forced him to sit under when the girls dragged him and the other guys to a, modern day by over-world standards, hair salon. Yet he had a feeling that this machine had to do more than just dry his hair, which was already dry to begin with anyway. He took off his helmet but found he couldn't breathe and put it back on. "Gorun Nova, listen to me! I'm going to try to take some of the pressure away from you. Transfer the negative energy that is hurting you to me. Do it quick, I don't know for how long I can hold my breath!" Gourry took in a big breath of air and took off his helmet so that he could fit his head into the machine at the captain's chair.

xoxox xox xoxox

Simultaneously at the Great Beast's control room, Xellos announced, "we have a visual! You are watching an exclusively hacked control room camera image live from Gorun Nova only on Xellos TV!"

"Looks like you were right, Lina," Zelas sounded rather amused. "Gourry did find something stupid to do to put himself in mortal danger. Not only did he take off his helmet, which he needs to breathe as I doubt Gorun Nova will be inclined to turn on the oxygen any time soon, but he basically surrendered his life by getting himself into that machine. Gorun Nova can forcibly drain his energy completely now. Unlike with Light, Labyrinthine and Onyx, whose energy was transmitted to Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis from afar as part of a trap, this time it's a direct connection, so Gorun Nova can kill Gourry any time."

"And that's exactly what Gorun Nova wanted to do!" Lina panicked. "Gourry, get yourself out of there, you stupid jellyfish!" Receiving no response, Lina wasted no time in heading for the door. "Open up the nearest exit, I'm going after him!"

"No space suit? Gourry took the black one, but the purple one is still there," Xellos reminded.

"I can levitate myself over there faster than I'll run out of air. Besides, I need to get the oxygen back on for Gourry anyway, so I might as well do that for myself at the same time. Now let me out!" Lina insisted with great urgency, ready to try to break out of the Great Beast if she had to.

"Fine..." Zelas opened the door and closed it again after Lina had exited. Noting that all eyes had turned to her, she added with a nonchalant huff, "what? Do all of you want to go too? It's not like Lina can force Gorun Nova to release Gourry and neither can any of you. Terminating their connection abruptly in such an unstable condition would probably just kill Gourry anyway. His only way out is if Gorun Nova releases him." She made a small pause while everyone took a moment to look even more worried than before. "Xellos?" Zelas quietly prompted.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master, it is done," Xellos informed.

"What is?" Milgazia asked with slight suspicion.

"Oh nothing, I just told Xellos via direct system message to go hack into Gorun Nova's life support system and turn it on," Zelas stated as if she was speaking of a very unimportant detail. "With his defenses down, I knew the hacking wouldn't take long. Besides, I don't think even Lina could have figured out a way to get the oxygen going on time to prevent Gourry and herself from asphyxiating. This way at least she'll survive."

"And him too," Amelia added. "There is something we can do to help! Just as our negative energy overwhelmed and defeated Gorun Nova, our positive energy can save Gourry and maybe even save Gorun Nova!" The ever positive justice loving princess exclaimed, her optimism never ending. "Let's do it everyone, think happy thoughts!"

"Hey, hold it! If you must think positive, stick to fiery bravery, that's the most tolerable," Zelas protested.

"Positive feelings are positive feelings," Amelia reasoned. "Alright everyone, focus on your fiery courage, don't be afraid for Lina, Gourry or Mr. Gorun Nova. We must be brave and believe that they will be alright!" The Seyruun princess cheered.

xoxox xox xoxox

At the same time, Lina realized as she reached Gorun Nova's control room where Gourry was, that she could breathe. She hurried to Gourry, who seemed to be unconscious with an expression of pain on his face that broke her heart all over again. She was about to pull him out from the machine over his head, when Xellos' voice from the speakers suddenly interrupted her actions and made her pause with a warning. "That's not a good idea."

"Xellos? What do you mean? Speak, there's no time!" Lina urged.

"If you forcibly disconnect Gourry from Gorun Nova while he is so unstable, it might kill Gourry, or at least put him in a coma for the rest of his life," Xellos cheerfully informed. "But don't worry, Lina, we have some positive energy to help things along and ease his pain. Remember to thank us later, as this type of energy is still rather unpleasant for Lord Beast Master and me to handle, even if we are strong enough to withstand it."

"Can that energy free Gourry?" Lina asked hopefully, though in the back of her mind she knew it couldn't be that easy.

"It will only delay the damage," Xellos admitted. "The only one who can free Gourry now is Gorun Nova."

To be Continued


	24. Chapter 24

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 070: Human! A Quest From The Heart

In the world of his nightmares, Gourry found himself floating in an endless darkness. "Gorun Nova!" He called out as loud as he could. "Gorun Nova, where are you?"

"Why did you come here?" A man began to appear covered in dark mist, though he was different from the one Gourry had seen before. His long hair was a pale blue with bits of white that shone like the light of the legendary sword wielded in ages past by Flagoon. His eyes were a deep dark blue with a sharp gaze. He wore blue armor as a knight of a far away kingdom from a story book. 

"Gorun Nova... This is your original mental form, isn't it?" Gourry guessed. "It's good to see you can still respond. Please hurry up and transfer the dark energy to me. Clean it out of your being before it consumes you!" The blond swordsman urged.

"Why do you wish for your demise?" Gorun Nova huffed bitterly. "If it is atonement that you seek, know that throwing away your life is not going to save mine. This pain... I can't bear it, I can't overcome it. My systems are failing me. At least I get to kill you myself..."

Gourry didn't flinch; he didn't even slightly look away. He just kept staring ahead at Gorun Nova's image among the dark mist that consumed them both. His eyes were kind and compassionate, not at all angry despite the threats directed at him. Then he asked, simply and without pressure, "are you sure this is what you want? You want to kill me instead of fighting to the end? You choose revenge over victory? If that is really what you want without a doubt, then I won't resist. I didn't know her like you did, Flagoon. But somehow, I don't think she would have given up if she was in your shoes."

"Stop it!" Gorun Nova yelled with frustration. "Don't look at me with those eyes. Don't look at me with the same gaze as her. You're dishonorable, you're unworthy, you're..." Gorun Nova's mental image flickered and began to fade. "You're still her descendant... I couldn't have her to myself, but I swore I would protect them. I remember now, I silently promised Flagoon that I would protect her descendants and she... She asked them to treat the sword of light with respect and cherish it. She was looking out for me as always."

"That's true," Gourry nodded with a slight smile. "Flagoon was really amazing. It was those who came after her that forgot to honor her wish. I really am sorry for failing you and failing Flagoon. But you can't let that sorrow end your life. Gorun Nova, be strong, make Flagoon proud!" The light energy that was placed into Gorun Nova from the others, gravitated towards Gourry like a thousand tiny stars lighting up the darkness, but not extinguishing it, rather balancing it. "Darkness and light is fusion and fusion is life. I don't really understand it, but that's what I heard once, so hold on to your life!" Gourry reached his hand out to Gorun Nova. 

"You... you really are willing to give your life to save me? I thought Flagoon would be the only one willing to protect me like I protected her..." Reluctantly, Gorun Nova reached for Gourry's hand and shook it as a sign of friendship and forgiveness.

"You saved my life many times," Gourry smiled fondly at the memories. "It's about time I thank you, even if I fade away."

"Gourry! Gourry!" Lina's voice echoed faintly as if far away.

"Lina..." Gourry closed his eyes as his mind faded away into nothingness. "Goodbye Lina, I hope you find someone worthy to stand by your side."

"Idiot," Gorun Nova suddenly grunted, causing Gourry's eyes to snap open in surprise. "I can sense emotions," the once sword of light explained. "Lina has been in love with you for a long time. She never stopped loving you, so it doesn't make sense that you're so heartbroken over her."

Gourry's eyes went wide as he recovered his energy with new hope. "Are you serious? But she dumped me and she yelled and... and... Maybe it was just a random temper tantrum after all, only that it lasted longer than usual. I shouldn't have given up. Lina! Lina, I'm coming back for you!"

Gorun Nova stared in puzzlement, "where does all that energy come from? How could you still be so strong all of a sudden?"

"It's because I know I'll get to see Lina again and that gives me hope," Gourry smiled radiantly. "You should have hope too because you'll get to see Flagoon again when she reincarnates. I'll take you back to my world and make sure no one ever disrespects you. I'll make sure you have a life of your own!"

"To see Flagoon again..." Gorun Nova thought of her. "Even the smallest hope of that is worth striving for."

xoxox xox xoxox

"Gourry!" Lina exclaimed as Gourry finally woke up and sat up on the chair, poking his head out of the strange device it was in. She hugged him, glad to have him back alive. "Stupid jellyfish, doing something so reckless!"

"I had to, I couldn't abandon my friend." Gourry held Lina close, like he did before the misunderstanding and perhaps with even more fervor than before. 

"Your friend?" Lina looked at Gourry curiously, tilting her head to the side and blinking. "You mean..." A theory formed in her mind.

"Gorun Nova," Gourry confirmed.

The hologram of Gorun Nova's original knightly form appeared. He was no longer a flickering mess of shapeless static, but now a perfectly defined realistic image. "Gourry... You really do have Flagoon's honor after all."

xoxox xox xoxox

Watching the scene unfold on the main screen of the Great Beast's control room, Amelia squealed with joy. "Friendship conquers any challenge!"

"Shut up before I blow up Gorun Nova and kill you all!" Zelas growled.

"You always get cranky when things work out nicely," Milgazia observed. It was not the first time this had happened.

Making no effort to deny it, Zelas reminded. "Yes, and the last time I was really cranky I decided it was dragon hunting season, remember?" That was enough to make Milgazia frown at the memories of his fellow dragons being hunted for Zelas' cuisine. Not to mention her creepy culinary interest in making him an ingredient of her gourmet cuisine one day. "Ah, it looks like Lina and Gourry are returning. I'm glad they remembered, or at least Lina remembered that were watching and didn't turn on the mush too high. I'm disgusted enough with all this friendship in the air as it is."

Lina and Gourry returned to the Great Beast and Gorun Nova's hologram was projected there as well. He was still shaken from all that had happened, but with an encouraging nod from Gourry, he began to speak. "Beast Master Zelas Metallium... Though we have been enemies in the past when I felt I had no choice but to serve Darkstar, I want that to change. Darkstar wants to destroy the worlds, including Flagoon's world where she is destined to be reborn. I thought that all I could do was get my revenge on Gourry, but I know now he is not my enemy. Darkstar is the real enemy. Please allow me to join your team!"

Zelas paused for a moment as if in deep thought. Everyone assumed the gesture was just for show and that she would immediately accept Gorun Nova's offer. After all, the more allies they had the better and, from Zelas' perspective, the more pawns she had the better. Yet her response shocked everyone as she replied, "no way."

The surprise didn't last long, as all those present assumed that Zelas would come up with a list of demands for Gorun Nova in exchange for allowing him to fight by her side. Gorun Nova himself expected as much and was quick to ask about it. "What do I have to do to prove myself?"

"You don't have to prove yourself, I can sense your emotions and I know your intentions are true," Zelas revealed.

"Then why?" Gorun Nova asked in confusion.

"You'll only be throwing your life away," Zelas answered with seriousness. "I'm certain that Darkstar can easily defeat you and even if you can be upgraded and improved, there is simply no time for you to catch up to the level that Canal and I will be fighting at. You'll be a burden to us." Gorun nova was about to protest, but Zelas continued before he could speak further. "However..." She made a dramatic pause that left everyone in suspense, just the way she liked it. Beast Master grinned victoriously, "I will make you a deal you can't refuse."

Milgazia shot Zelas a suspicious look that she ignored, remaining focused on Gorun Nova's reaction. He looked at the monster lord turned lost ship before him and nodded. "I am willing to listen, but I can't make any promises until I do."

"Then hear this," Zelas' face conveyed the absolute surety of victory. "Give your power as a lost ship to me and in exchange I will turn you into a human. Then I will take you to my world where you can live as a part of it and maybe even find Flagoon's reincarnation if she's there. If not, then at the end of your human life, you will return to the Sea of Chaos and be reborn in the world in which you died, obtaining another and another chance to find Flagoon's reincarnation for as long as the current cycle of the worlds continues."

Gorun Nova stared in surprise as gasps of shock filled the air around him. "That sounds far too good to be true."

"It isn't," Zelas laughed mockingly. "You'd be giving away your power to live the life of an ordinary mortal. You can train as a sorcerer, swordsman or both, but you will have to work for it as a human. If you ask me, it is a terrible deal. Yet you'll be getting what you want, even if your desires make little sense to me."

"If I make a pact with you, then I wouldn't really be a human. There's always a catch with monster pacts. I was in your world long enough to know that and more." Gorun Nova cautiously continued the discussion.

"Who ever said anything about a pact?" Zelas laughed. "Don't you see? This deal is so very easy that it doesn't even require trickery. In fact, I'll make you a different offer; an offer in which you will have more control. This will be a deal that relies on you keeping your word more so than me. Would that make you feel safe enough?"

"It would," Gorun Nova admitted. "But what's in it for you?"

"Your power, as I said before. It is the same deal, only that I'll explain it to you beforehand." Zelas grinned with mischief, yet it was not the kind of mischief that came with trickery. Her features held no trickery, no deception, only sincere amusement.

"I'm listening," Gorun Nova finally voiced.

Zelas then explained her business proposition. "I know of a method that you can use to become human. I don't even need to be the one to perform it. It could be Canal or someone else of your choosing. I will tell you the secret and in exchange you must give me your word that if you are satisfied with the information after you've had the opportunity to confirm it, you will give me your power as a lost ship. I will ask you to be swift in making your choice, but if you find my guidance to be useless, you are not obligated to keep your end of the bargain."

"That's it? That's all? No loopholes?" Gorun Nova tried to think about it more and more, but he found that even over-analyzing Zelas' words didn't reveal any new hidden information. "Very well, if I find your information to be truly useful, I will give you my power."

"Alright then, it's a deal. I'm not going to request any formalities, your verbal promise is good enough, no pacts, no magic or its equivalent, no contracts, just the witnesses you see here," Zelas agreed. "Now for the information, as you already know, when a creature from one world travels to another and their kind does not exist in that other world, the aforementioned creature will take on a different form. You have experienced that yourself. The form that each being takes is linked to the form they had when they crossed from one world to another."

Gorun Nova nodded in understanding. "All of those are known and established facts."

"Glad we're on the same page so far," Zelas commented with the mocking sarcasm that was not unusual for her. "On to the interesting part. Let's take Zelgadis for example-"

"I'm not sure I like that," the chimera turned cyborg protested.

"Deal with it," Zelas ignored his complaints and continued. "Zelgadis was a chimera in our world, but a very particular one due to the continuous failed attempts at a cure that he was subjected to. He was not like the chimeras of this world which come as a result of more calculated scientific methods, rather than magic mixed with alchemy. The magic energies in him were too much for the over-world to properly interpret as something of this world and thus he was converted into something else. The same goes for Filia and Milgazia. They too gained mechanical components when they were brought to this world, albeit at a different level, because their origin was different. Still, they were not similar enough to the dragon-like alien creatures of this world to be converted into that."

"It seems that technology is how the over world interprets what it is not familiar with." The lecture was getting interesting, though it had so far been a review of what was already known. "Zelgadis is able to remove his armor in this world which represents his chimera parts. Underneath he is a human as he was before he was turned into a chimera in our world. Is this correct, Zelgadis."

"Yeah, that's right, and I see where you're going with this," Zelgadis realized. "But I won't spoil it, so you go on."

"A wise choice, you better not try to steal my thunder," Zelas half joked and half threatened. "Zelgadis' plan is to leave his mechanical armor behind after this adventure is over and return to our world as a human. Taking his chimera components apart in our original world was extremely difficult, but here in the over-world, because of the form they took, it seems too easy. I believe Zelgadis intends to test his human transformation theory as soon as possible and I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing the results with you."

"I get it!" Lina suddenly realized. "Then that means-"

"Quiet, Lina, I'm delivering the punch line!" Zelas interrupted defensively and Lina decided to do the smart thing and quiet down for the time being. "If you change your form in this world, what you become in our world will change too. There are no starships in my world, so you took on the form of a weapon of light, the kind of thing that the legends of our world are made of, as opposed to the legends of this world. You were weapons and not astral beings because you were originally built to be used as weapons, as practical tools of battle. By the time you overcame that condition and developed a true sentience of your own beyond your programming, your form in my world had already been established by the shape you took during your initial arrival there. However, if you change your shape here, when you cross between the worlds, your form should be changed to something that suits you better at present."

Gorun Nova took a moment to let all the new information sink in, it was all logical from what he could tell. "That actually makes a lot of sense. I see now why my word was enough. If your guidance really leads me to join the human race of Flagoon's world, than I'll be so grateful I'll want to give you my power. Besides, you're fighting against Darkstar, it makes sense that you should have it. This will very well benefit us both, but..." There was the clear presence of doubt on Gorun Nova's face and voice. 

"What is it now?" Zelas was starting to get impatient.

"I want to fight Darkstar. I can't just hide away in Flagoon's world and wait for her without taking the opportunity to fight for that world when it needs me the most!" Gorun Nova declared with great determination.

"Then join my crew and fight with the power of your mind. Having an extra source of psy-energy won't hurt," Zelas decided. "I can make it work even if you are an android in this world." 

"If you can promise to let me join your crew, then you have a deal!" Gorun Nova enthusiastically agreed.

"Great, then it's settled. Let's start by constructing an android body for you that can hold your full memory. I've visited many planets with great technological advancements and stored information from each of them, plus anything that's not in my databases we can look up in the ever convenient massive digital library of the over-world, the Internet," Zelas concluded. "Is everyone in agreement?" She threw a pointed look at Milgazia, who had been giving her suspicious glances the whole time.

A chorus of "agreed" was heard throughout the ship, including Milgazia himself. For one, there wasn't much of a loop to a deal with a monster, even if it was because of the special circumstances that they were facing with their upcoming battle with Darkstar. Yet the fight was a lot closer than they thought...

"Well then, let's check out this portal. Labyrinthine, Light and Onyx, oh yes, and the paperweight too, I'm assuming you're all going back to keep an eye on our world. We can't let the place fall apart or else there really won't be much left of it for me to rule over after I'm done beating up Darkstar." Zelas spoke with confidence as if it was an assured certainty, even if the odds were terribly against them. She wondered if the Swordbreaker had fared any better with the upgrades, while the Great Beast had received a lot more repairs then actual upgrades. "By the way, paperweight, you owe me for not destroying you here and now."

The crescent moon cube that contained Luna's soul glowed and pulsated as if saying 'we'll discuss this later.'

"Milgazia, you should stay in our world as well, you've tagged along pestering me for long enough and I find you to be terribly unpleasant." Zelas decided with a somewhat humorous pout.

"Likewise," Milgazia half smiled. "Although I'd rather stay and keep you out of trouble, I think you'll be too busy to cause too much trouble anyway and someone needs to take care of things back in our world. For all we know, pandemonium could be on the verge of breaking out."

Zelas nodded, "and I don't want to miss it, so make sure to delay the mayhem until I get there. The rest of you can go back for a quick visit if you must. Gorun Nova, you should be able to fit through the portal just fine in your new android body when it's finished. Although it seems I won't be able to get through this portal, with all my power, my astral, or rather digital, body is too large, not to mention the Great Beast itself. I have no choice but to wait here. Xellos, I want you to take a look at how things are in our world, visit Wolf Pack Island and have a quick meeting with Neuro and Zenki. Report back to me swiftly."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Xellos happily exclaimed. It seemed that things were finally looking up. The five lost ships that served Darkstar; Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira, Ragudo Mezegis and Gorun Nova were finally out of the picture. Four of them had been destroyed and the last one had joined their ranks. Now only the final preparations lay ahead before the battle against Darkstar.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 071: Partition! A Legend To Be Feared

After the new android body for Gorun Nova was built, he was successfully transferred into it. "It looks like things are working so far. What about my power as a lost ship? It is in my old vessel, but how will you take it?"

"Xellos can take over your old empty vessel and get everyone through the portal, since that ship is smaller than the Great Beast," Zelas explained. "If he doesn't become detached from it, he will automatically absorb its power, like a chimera, except since he's a monster, it'll be pure energy that he's receiving rather than matter that would affect a physical form, as such a burden wouldn't be present. Xellos' will then receive your power and be able to transfer it to me when he returns and rejoins me in the Great Beast."

"Sounds like everything is set up to go," Lina concluded. "Let's switch ship so Xellos can take us home on Gorun Nova's old vessel. Let's make this little visit count to do anything we might have in mind. We'll be back here in the over-world soon and we can't afford to have any distractions even in the back of our minds when we face Darkstar."

Thus the crew switched ships, with Xellos serving as the AI to Gorun Nova's old vessel. Zelgadis removed his armor, leaving it in the Great Beast in case he needed to temporarily use it later. Thus Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Xellos, Gorun Nova, Milgazia, Onyx, Light, Labyrinthine and Luna crossed through the portal on their way back to their world.

Zelas watched as the previous vessel of Gorun Nova, now controlled by Xellos, disappeared into the portal. Her instinct gave her a bad feeling, which she theorized was about the current situation of her world. Yet there was more to it than that. Suddenly, she thought it was a bad idea to be there on her own, but why? The minions of Darkstar had been defeated and Darkstar himself had remained in a static location, focusing his energy in cracking Canal's protection program on Dolphin and Dynast. It was a program that Zelas herself no longer needed, as her own mental defenses had been built up through her experiences in the over-world enough to resist Darkstar's mental assaults. Though that didn't mean a victory against him was assured, she still had to consider the physical combat in the situation. 

A feeling akin to a cold chill overtook Zelas. She was a fierce monster lord and now a powerful lost ship. She couldn't be afraid, she had faced near ruin and destruction many times already and had dodged death by a hair often enough lately to know that a battle wasn't over until it was over, no matter how hopeless it may seem. She had come a long way since her arrival at the over-world. She focused on a near by planet and tried to sense the energy of the people there. She called upon the hidden power that she heard that saiyan prince mention as something legendary and unreal. She could feel their energy and with a small tug, she began to absorb it. 'So I can do this if I focus enough. I could wipe out all the life forms in this planet from this distance if I wanted. They would notice if I take too much energy, but I could overpower them. If I weaken them, they will start to fear when the inexplicable exhaustion settles in and their energy will be that much more delicious.'

Zelas' train of thought was interrupted again. She felt danger and it was close, but her radars were not picking up anything out of the ordinary. She stopped focusing on the planet and left its energy alone for the time being. Instead she tried to sense the energy around her. She focused on her instincts as a beast and felt it more clearly. There was danger; there was mortal danger, but what? Then she realized it. "Darkstar!" He was no longer in a static position. He must have detected that Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira and Ragudo Mezegis were destroyed. Now Gorun Nova's lost ship vessel had left the over-world, thus Darkstar might have assumed that it signified his destruction. With no minions left to serve him, he must have gotten concerned about Zelas' growing power. She couldn't win against Darkstar alone. 

As much as Zelas hated to admit it, she needed her crew to lend her power and to team up with the Swordbreaker. Yet she couldn't communicate with Xellos due to the interference in the portal. As for Canal, even if Zelas managed to get a hold of her in a long distance call, she was surely too far away to make it there before Darkstar even if she made several light speed jumps. 'I have to outrun him, but I can't, as massive as Dugradigdu is, he's still faster than the Great Beast. All this moving around is taking resources away from the task of breaking into Dolphin and Dynast's core programming, but even while doing that, Darkstar is still too strong. He's got me in his radars already, I know it, running away will be useless. Dark energy won't work on him and I can't produce a big enough blast of courage to damage him on my own, when he has both Dolphin and Dynast' fear to counteract it.'

Zelas pushed her processing speed to maximum as she started to feel the waves of energy that signified that something massive was about to emerge from a light speed jump. She couldn't take on Darkstar on her own, but running away was useless and she couldn't fit through the portal to her world either. 'Divide and conquer...' she thought bitterly. She considered squeezing in through the portal, but knew it would be useless. 'There's no way I can fit through there unless I'm in pieces.' That thought actually gave her an idea. 'Pieces...'

The massive structure of Dugradigdu finally emerged from his light speed jump in front of Zelas. She remained still and unafraid, refusing to bow down to her enemy. "So we meet again, Beast Master Zelas Metallium. That portal behind you, now it makes sense, that's where your crew went, isn't it? It's a pity the portal is much too small for you. You have nowhere to run."

"I do not fear you, Darkstar, I will win," Zelas assured. Her last desperate plan had already been set in motion.

Darkstar laughed long and loud with mocking cruelty. "You will win you say? How can you? You won't even be able to scratch Dugradigdu's paint job.

Zelas could feel every circuit in her vessel heating up, but the inner system alarms didn't go off. Somehow, she was handling it. 'Maybe this is akin to what humans call a rush of adrenaline. My processing speed will certainly be enough now. It looks like I'm ready sooner than I thought.' She grinned with the look of a victorious challenge. "You cannot destroy me, Darkstar of the Stillness. Your minions have tried to strike me down before, but I only came back stronger each time. I dare you to tare me to pieces if you have the strength!" Zelas closed the communication channel, blocked all communication links and activated the program she had been working on.

"You'll regret your insolence!" Darkstar yelled, though Zelas could no longer hear him. He prepared to shoot his powerful laser weaponry, which easily cut through the Great Beast, leaving her in pieces. Darkstar didn't realize that Zelas could produce her own psy-energy and assumed that her lack of shield was due to not being able to project one and knowing that regular energy would be a waste. "This was too easy. All that talk for nothing, I guess you must have lost your mind." Before the power left in the dying lost ship was gone, Darkstar intended to absorb it for himself. However, before Darkstar, who had gotten confident in his victory and lowered his guard could take the pieces of the Great Beast into himself, the portal sucked them in. "What? Why?" He didn't understand what had happened, but assumed it was a random reaction and nothing more. Besides, even if the remains of the Great Beast were being called to the other side, she was already too close to dying to make it there alive as far as Darkstar knew. "Her power was wasted, but it doesn't matter, I still have the other two and this one is out of the way. Canal, you're next..."

Inside the portal, the programming Zelas had left in automatic finished its job. After Gorun Nova join their side, he passed on the software that controlled the microchips in the portal to her and she was able to set them up to make the portal suck in the broken pieces of her vessel. Darkstar was too large, so even if the portal tugged at him to follow, he wouldn't fit through. Yet Zelas was still in pieces and her energy was fading away fast.

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, Xellos guided Gorun Nova in the space between the worlds. "Get ready everyone!" The lost ship glowed and began to fade. "This ship is going to turn into my energy which I'll absorb. I can keep pushing us the rest of the way through, but you'll have to hold your breath. When we emerge on the other side, the dragons can ensure a safe landing." He stopped in the middle of his explanation, blocking out the sounds of the others' voices as they commented on the plan. "We're going back," Xellos suddenly announced with a seriousness that was unlike him. He went on a full reverse with Gorun Nova's lost ship vessel becoming more solid again as it drew closer to the over-world once more.

"What happened? Did the energy conversion fail somehow?" The android Gorun Nova inquired. He looked like his original knightly projection. 

"The problem isn't with us, it's Beast Master. I feel that she's in danger." Xellos revealed with worry. "I can't explain it, but I can sense her, only barely. She's here, she's in the portal's tunnel, but I don't know how. The portal isn't any bigger, she shouldn't fit through. Her energy is fading!"

"Did she get attacked after we left?" Amelia worried.

"We shouldn't have assumed that Darkstar would remain in a static position," Milgazia concluded with frustration. He could think of no other enemy that could stand up to the Great Beast.

Xellos finally arrived where the pieces of the Great Beast were. "Lord Beast Master!" He cried out in a panic. "She's in pieces; she has been destroyed, ruined!"

"Xellos, calm down!" Filia urged. "Didn't you say you could still sense her energy? If that is so, then she's not dead."

"Yes, yes, she's alive!" Xellos extended several cables from the lost ship that used to be Gorun Nova's towards the Great Beast' pieces. The cables wrapped themselves around the larger parts, with the smaller ones being carried by the tractor beam. "I can't repair her fast enough to save her. All I can do is take her to our world and hope her change in shape to an astral being is enough to save her." Without a split second to lose, Xellos headed back to his original world with the dying remains of Beast Master in tow.

xoxox xox xoxox

The arrival in the Slayers' world was full of tension. As expected, Gorun Nova's old vessel turned into energy that was absorbed by Xellos. He tried to wrap his own energy around Zelas to keep her as stable as possible while her physical vessel recovered its purely astral form. The group reappeared in the skies over the Elmekia desert, in the center of which there was a very deep crater caused by the effects of their battle with Gorun Nova earlier. As the group fell, with a flash of golden light, Milgazia transformed in mid air and caught them safely on his back. 

The golden dragon elder landed on the desert sands next to the large hole and they all watched as six dark lights descended from the sky below the portal. One of them took the shape of a black cone, then Xellos. Another dark light took on the form of a sea monster, then Deep Sea Dolphin. The other remaining four dark lights gained the silhouette of four small winged wolves, then different versions of Zelas. "Lord Beast Master!" Xellos panicked. A piece of a monster could never be the same as the original. Had Zelas been torn apart like Shabranigdu had?

Three of the four Zelas faded away, teleporting through the astral side without offering any explanations for their actions. The one that remained had the least amount of power out of the four, but she seemed to be the most familiar with Xellos. "Wipe that panicked and sorrowful look off your face, Xellos. My one and only general priest shouldn't be making such a forlorn expression, it doesn't fit you."

"Lord Beast Master!" Xellos cheered in recognition of his mother's true persona being intact. He threw his arms around her in a big bear hug.

"Filia and her strange rituals are rubbing off on you." Zelas calmly made Xellos straighten his posture as they lost altitude and gracefully landed on the sandy grounds of the Elmekia desert near the rest of the group. She patted his head, messing up his hair slightly. "Dynast would laugh at us if they saw us now, Dolphin too if she wasn't so scared of you killing her for it. They'd laugh at you for hugging me like a mortal child and at me for not punishing you for it."

"But you did punish me," Xellos pointed at his messed up hair, then proceeded to smooth it out, only to have Zelas ruffle it out of place again.

"I guess I did," Zelas chuckled.

"As much as I hate to interrupt the mother and son reunion, I need to ask, what in the worlds happened back there?" Lina inquired with great urgency. 

"I'm pretty confused about it myself," Deep Sea Dolphin admitted. "One minute I was being held prisoner by Darkstar and the next I was here." She frowned at her lack of power. "What happened to all my power? And yours is gone too, Zelas, if you are even the same Zelas. How is it that you're in four pieces but you don't seem to be ruined?"

"Ruin, the death of a monster, the destruction of their persona," Zelas began to explain. "That is what happens when a monster's persona is torn apart, but I was not torn apart. Using the technology of the over world, I created partitions in my system that clung to the circuitry of the physical pieces of my ship. They were very small partitions in case Darkstar blew my vessel into tiny pieces. There were four larger parts after the Great Beast's destruction and thus the partitions on each part fused together. That is why there are four of us. I was actually the largest part in terms of system resources."

"Then why do you have the least amount of power?" Dolphin asked impatiently. Everything was very confusing and she didn't like the feeling. Her captivity was unpleasant enough. To be rescued was a great relief, but without power, she wondered if she would last long.

"I'm getting to that," Zelas continued her explanation. "My power is in three pieces, I have divided it from my persona for the purpose of keeping my persona whole. I am memories, personality, everything that Beast Master is. Yet power alone can't exist without something to keep it focused or else it would disperse. The pieces of my power took on several aspects of me. Xellos, you did well on bringing me here. I set things up so that the portal would absorb the pieces of my ship. I couldn't communicate with you, but I knew your instinct would guide you to find me. I know I couldn't have been repaired as a lost ship, but becoming astral again has stabilized me somewhat. Because I was divided systematically rather than torn apart, I can be put back together. From this side, all it should take is a little fusion magic... provided that we can capture the rampant power that's on the loose. But I'm sure we can manage."

Dolphin was staring in disbelief and amazement. "I must have missed out on a lot during my captivity. You were torn apart and you didn't get ruined. Has any monster ever truly survived something like this before without losing their original persona?"

Zelas chuckled as if laughing at her own misfortune. "Dolphin, I was forcefully summoned to another world. I was nearly destroyed and had to endure being rescued by a lord of light. I was nearly destroyed on several more occasions and I was forced to rely on my crew until I could learn to fight for myself. Again I was nearly destroyed; I had to handle positive energy coursing through me while trying to keep myself from being destroyed. I had to use dark energy to defend while at the same time attacking with positive energy, which I don't even have to point out to you that is painful for someone of our kind. And guess what? I was nearly destroyed yet again, I endured having a breakable physical form and having it constantly being broken after every close call in every desperate fight, and you think I'm going to get ruined? Ha! If I haven't lost myself yet, then a little thing like being torn to pieces won't defeat me." 

Dolphin just stood there staring with her mouth hanging open. "Wow, and I thought I had it bad. Having Darkstar constantly trying to pry into my mind while being protected by a strange yet fading power that I don't understand was bad, but it sounds like you got roughed up worse than a human who got on the bad side of a mafia boss."

"A very eloquent way to put it," Zelas commented. "My point is that I've gotten back up from so many falls by now that tripping on this rocky road doesn't even surprise me anymore. I'll pull myself back together, then I'll go fight Darkstar and get trashed to an inch of death again. I know it will not be an easy victory, but I will win, then I'll pull myself together again and finally take a vacation."

"You're pretty tough, you always have been. Speaking of tough, where is my power, you haven't explained that yet," Dolphin pointed out with lost hopes.

"Darkstar has it," Zelas revealed. "Don't worry, it is still contained and protected by the same program that was protecting you, so he has not absorbed it yet. I did to you, what I did to myself. I partitioned you so that you could be taken apart without being torn. I managed to hack into Dugradigdu's systems while Darkstar was busy doing his evil mocking laughter, which doesn't hold a candle to my evil laugh, by the way. I was going to do the same for Dynast, but I ran out of time, so he is still with Dugradigdu. Since Darkstar only wanted your power and was going to destroy your persona, I doubt he would see this as a big loss, although I'm sure he'll be angry that I managed to hack him a little, even if I didn't have time to do much." 

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 072: Fishy! While The Wolf's Away...

Dolphin stared blankly at Zelas' explanations and finally nodded her head like a bobble toy. "I didn't fully understand all that, but the point is that I'm alive and there's a chance I'll get my power back. But what will we do in the mean time. There are dragons here, Lina Inverse and, call me crazy, but I feel the Knight of Ceifeed's presence on that crescent moon shaped jewel that woman who looks like she could be Lina's mother is holding." Dolphin lowered her voice more and more as she spoke, ending the warning in a quiet whisper. "With most of your power outside of your control for the time being and my power gone, Xellos is stronger than the both of us... and considerably stronger than I remember him being for that matter. But will he be able to fight off the dragons en mass and the knight of Ceifeed and Lina Inverse and all other possible dangers that want to kill us at the same time? I am assuming you don't want to kill me yourself, since you took the trouble of rescuing me from Darkstar."

Zelas laughed at Dolphin's uneasiness. "Darkstar really got under your skin, didn't he? Quit panicking. Although I suppose I shouldn't blame you. The first time I found myself without being able to control a decent amount of power," meaning a considerably large amount, "I was pretty upset too, but I survived and recovered. Besides, I'll let you in on a not so secret detail, without my help, Darkstar can't be defeated, the dragons can't touch me or they'll be throwing away their lives."

"I get it, it's genius! And since I'm your ally, they can't touch me either!" Dolphin nodded rapidly in self reassurance. "We are allies aren't we?"

"My, my, you're suddenly quite fond of me, aren't you?" Zelas laughed. "You better not forget how much you owe me in case I decide to collect one of these days. By the way, I have news..."

"More?" Dolphin wasn't even sure if she could take it.

"Since we were removed from this world, all active pacts were broken, which includes Leviathan," Zelas informed with a Xellos style cheerful expression. "That means that your precious pet is dead."

Dolphin gasped, "my Leviathan, my longest pact record! Oh, that Darkstar's going to get it!" She stomped her feet in angry frustration. 

"The legendary beast of the sea is gone?" Filia was surprised to hear it. Though she wasn't exactly an expert on the subject, she had heard many stories.

"Nah, those are just monsters named after Leviathan by humans," Zelas waved her hand in dismissal. "I was talking about Dolphin's pet goldfish."

"Goldfish?" Several members of the group sweat dropped simultaneously. 

"I want to drown that Darkstar, if it was possible for him to drown I mean," Dolphin grumbled angrily. "Get him for me, will you Zelas?"

"I'll get him for myself," Zelas proudly declared.

"That's right, justice will always triumph!" Amelia cheered.

"I say it again, you're tough, Zelas," Dolphin commended. "You have to be if you put up with positive craziness like that."

Zelas shook her head hopelessly, "you don't know the half of it."

"Aw, but being optimistic is good. I mean, just look where it got you, Miss Zelas, you survived what any pessimistic monster wouldn't have been able to! Things are looking up, your power is safe and can be recovered, Miss Dolphin has been rescued, even if she has sadly lost her dear pet, may he rest in peace. We need to stay optimistic, just like Zelgadis and Gorun Nova did and it led them to become human!"

"That's right, Zel was supposed to become human and Gorun Nova too. With all that's been going on, I forgot!" Lina admitted; she was feeling somewhat like Gourry for becoming distracted enough to forget about something important.

"To be honest, I got caught up in all these explanations and wasn't really paying attention myself," Zelgadis confessed. It was one shock after another since their arrival back at their world. "It looks like it worked though, I'm finally human!" He could only hope that the effect was true and permanent this time, though he had spent some time as a human without his armor in the over-world and he did feel very much human still. "This is... I really think this is the real cure at last!" He could barely believe it after all he had endured.

"Then that means I should be a human too!" Gorun Nova hoped. "But I have never been human before so I don't know what it's supposed to feel like."

"I can help determine that," Xellos surprisingly offered. "Hold out your hand." 

Too happy about the possibility of having become human to be on his guard, Gorun Nova obediently held out his hand. Xellos then proceeded to pinch the skin on the back of Gorun Nova's hand with his index finger and thumb, until with an indignant "ow!" Gorun Nova pulled his hand back and rubbed the affected area with the other. "What did you do that for?"

"I was simply answering your question," Xellos innocently replied with a blameless smile. "That is what being human feels like, painful. Trust me; I've been through it, good luck getting use to it and watch out for possible hidden allergies." Xellos couldn't help it but to shudder remembering his own allergic experience, though his was an extreme and rare case.

"If I'm human, like Flagoon, then I'm happy," Gorun Nova decided. "Besides, this can't be any harder than being a sword that can't even talk or decide where to go. Compared to that, this form is very comfortable, though it might take some getting used to, since I've never been a biological creature before."

"I'm happy for you, Gorun Nova," Gourry smiled with a thumbs up. "Now that you're a human there's lots of cool things you can do, like eat!"

"Mr. Gorun, you should stop by Seyruun sometime, my dad's martial art lessons will help you get used to your human form in no time!" Amelia offered. "Then you can work out an appetite and enjoy a nice meal."

A few of those present shifted, wondering if it was a good idea to let Philionel train Gorun Nova, who was just getting used to being human. Gourry discretely whispered to Amelia, "please tell Phil to go easy on him."

"Speaking of food, I better get cooking if I'm going to deliver the promised banquet," Labyrinthine recalled. "But first we need to go by Taforashia so we can drop off Luna's soul in her body. The cube turned into this jewel, but it seems its functions are the same."

"About that jewel," Zelas interjected. "After you're done putting Luna's soul back, do you mind if I keep it as a souvenir?" Though it was voiced as a question, it basically meant, 'give it to me or I'll take it.'

"I don't see why not," Light considered it. "Do think that's okay, Luna?" The jewel only pulsated in return, as it was all that it could do to communicate, yet somehow, Light understood his daughter. "Sounds like she's okay with it."

"Then it's settled, you can give me the jewel later," Zelas concluded.

"When will the food be ready, mom?" Lina hungrily inquired.

"It will take a while, dear, please be patient." Labyrinthine smiled at how some things about her youngest daughter never changed.

"I should check on Dragon's Peak to make sure things are alright," Milgazia decided. "I will see everyone later."

"Bye..." Onyx quietly left as well, catching a ride to Dragon's Peak at the Kataart Mountains with Milgazia.

"I'm sure Phythan is worried about you," Milgazia commented as they flew away. 'My wings do feel stronger now,' he quietly mused on the effects of the jetpack upgrade.

"He probably has a lot of sketches to show me. Other than comics, he has been taking up an interest in machine designs, must be all those books Celo left for him," Onyx mused. "He'd be surprised at all the things I saw in my short time in the over-world."

"I thought Zelas' influence would stay with him. Somehow I can picture him becoming her intern again in the future, perhaps for a job similar to Celo's," Milgazia let out an exasperated breath. "I suppose it can't be helped, but it's better to have one more dragon keeping a close eye on Zelas' plots than one less. Besides, Phythan would be very difficult to corrupt, though relatively easy to trick."

"I hear you," Onyx understood the request spoken between the lines. "Keep an eye on him, got it."

xoxox xox xoxox

After Milgazia left, Xellos went to take care of some official monster business with Zelas, who was sure the representations of her power would make a move and make their location known soon. Filia decided to check on Val and the others at Seyruun and gave Amelia, Zelgadis and Gorun Nova rides back to the white magic kingdom in her golden dragon form. It felt very good to stretch her wings and tail again after such a long time. 

With Fang providing additional transportation via astral side teleportation, Light and Labyrinthine easily reached Taforashia, where they found Pokota and Sylphiel, who was visiting. Luna's real body was safe and her soul was restored to it. With the knight of Ceifeed safe once again, the Inverse family and Gourry, who had tagged along, returned to Zephilia. After delivering his passengers to their destination, Fang took the promised crescent moon shaped jewel and left to take it to Zelas. 

Beast Master, or at least the part of her that held her persona, was at Wolf Pack Island having a meeting with Neuro and Zenki. Galathia was also there, hovering over in the background, waiting impatiently for Zelas to finish talking to her lieutenants so she could talk to her about anything and everything. Xellos had accompanied Dolphin to her home, as per Zelas' request, and made sure none of her minions were getting ideas of treachery, as Dolphin was now officially Beast Master's ally. Riksfalto seemed to get the message and kept an eye on Dolphin while she tried to begin the recovery process of her power. Other than the rogue pieces of power that Zelas needed to reintegrate into herself, Xellos was currently the top monster in that world.

xoxox xox xoxox

Milgazia and Onyx arrived at Dragon's Peak to find Memphis in the middle of what could only be described as a pep talk to the dragons, who were all too happy to see their leader had returned alive and well. Phythan was happily reunited with Onyx, while Milgazia gave Memphis the update to answer her rapid stream of questions, all of which could be summarized as, "what happened?"

There was a human with Memphis, a sorcerer by the looks of him and surprisingly, Milgazia's old friend Linesword, who rarely ventured out of his elven village, was there as well. The older elf kept a close eye on his daughter and more so on the human man beside her. It was a peculiar behavior that Milgazia couldn't help it but to notice as he spoke with Memphis. 

Finally, the elf girl let out a frustrated breath and turned to meet her father's gaze. After a few silent seconds, Linesword finally looked away and she continued what she had been saying to Milgazia. "So that's when that monster called Erosnum attacked along with a group of other monsters and we had to fight them off. Vrumugun had just recently arrived at the time on a diplomatic visit on behalf of the kingdom of Zoana and helped us fight off the monsters. He's a pretty skilled sorcerer," she smiled. "However, some people are being rude to him," she glanced at her father disapprovingly. "And as the dragon elder around here, I think it is your duty to make them stop!"

"I see..." Milgazia quietly took in all the information and decided to have a private talk with Linesword. "Well, it looks like you've handled the situation quite well, I commend you on that, Memphis. Mr. Vrumugun, I am very grateful for your assistance to my clan. Though we are in a time of crisis, I would very much like to conduct proper diplomatic discussions with you as soon as there is time to do so. For now, please enjoy your stay at Dragon's Peak and make yourself at home." As Milgazia spoke, Linesword let out a little huff, which made Milgazia glance at him in question. 

"Memphis, maybe you should do another round of patrol just in case," Linesword suggested.

"That's a fine idea, father," Memphis agreed. "Vrumugun, would you mind coming with me?"

"I would be glad to," Vrumugun left along with Memphis, despite the looks Linesword was giving him.

After they were gone, Milgazia let out a tired breath. He didn't expect to arrive at Dragon's Peak and find everything in order, but he didn't expect this kind of trouble either. "What's going on?"

"That Vrumugun guy has his eye on my Memphis, that's what's going on!" Linesword grunted. "That Zoana place is closely allied to Beast Master; it's a kingdom of black magic that's not to be trusted!"

"This isn't like you," Milgazia observed as calm and collected as he usually was, when there wasn't a certain monster lord purposely trying to get on his nerves. "You are usually quite open and friendly to humans, black magic users or not. Besides, Zoana isn't really a bad place despite their alliance. I'm sure we can both agree that Seyruun is an exemplary honorable kingdom and they have a sort of alliance with Beast Master too. Diplomacy with monsters, albeit quite headache inducing most of the time, has become a necessity in this day and age."

"That's not the point," Linesword rumbled. "It's not that I'm discriminating against Vrumugun specifically, but rather, any man that goes after Memphis needs to be subjected to a very detailed scrutiny."

"I can understand that," Milgazia half lied. He understood the basic concept behind the situation, though he had no children of his own to be protective, or over-protective, of, albeit he cared for Memphis like a niece. "You must try to be open minded; love can be found in the most unexpected of places such as with-"

"A monster!" Linesword suddenly exclaimed.

Milgazia thought about it as if Linesword was suggesting the possibility. "Admittedly, I'm still a bit skeptical about that, but I suppose there could be stranger things. I mean, there have been obscure legends about such topics which had to be based on something. Plus there is Filia's situation and I'm sure she would say that it is quite possible for a monster to love, even if she assaults Xellos with her mace more often than-"

"No, I mean there's a monster right behind you, two actually," Linesword insisted.

"Oh..." Milgazia glanced at the pair of monsters that stood there uneasily. Several dragons have rushed back to the scene upon sensing the unexpected visitors, but Milgazia was quick to assure them that everything was under control. The dragons seemed happy enough to let Milgazia handle things; he was good at appeasing monsters as far as they could tell. In the privacy of his mind, Milgazia admitted to himself that he was embarrassed not to have become fully alert when the monsters teleported into his clan's territory. Linesword and the others had certainly sensed them, yet Milgazia had gotten so accustomed to being surrounded by monsters, literally surrounded while traveling in the Great Beast, albeit it was a different form, that he didn't even feel uneasy and disregarded the feeling of an uninvited presence in the back of his mind. He mentally scolded himself thinking he really shouldn't allow himself another slip off like that. Finally, after a pause that felt too long, he addressed the two monsters with a diplomatic tone. "Greetings, Lord Deep Sea Dolphin and General Riksfalto. To what do I owe this visit?"

Riksfalto stood by quietly, looking rather annoying, while Deep Sea Dolphin stood forward and pointed at Milgazia with her index finger. "You!"

"Yes?" Milgazia blinked in confusion over her strange behavior. 

Dolphin delivered a most peculiar request, or rather order, as she stated her unexpected and so far inexplicable intentions. "I'm taking you out on a date!"

Linesword's jaw hung open wordlessly while Milgazia just stared wondering if he had heard wrong. But he knew his ears were clean, they were always clean and he never had to be told twice, even as a child to wash behind them as well. After a long moment of silence, Milgazia finally spoke with an unsure, "pardon me?"

"You're pardoned, now let's get going," Dolphin insisted, grabbing Milgazia's arm and starting to drag him off, with Riksfalto hovering about in the background uncomfortably. 

"Wait a minute!" Milgazia exclaimed as he firmly planted his feet on the ground. "I believe I have misunderstood. Could you repeat your reason for having come here?"

"I said I'm taking you out on a date. You know, a date, those strange outing ritual things." Dolphin's explanation hinted that she was not exactly an expert on the subject, but she certainly sounded dead set on making it happen.

"You have to tell me..." Linesword pushed each word out with difficulty as the shock of what he had just heard had rendered him speechless. "What in the world do you do to make monsters crazy for you like this? It's... it's..." The elf decided to use a more modern expression than what he would normally speak. It was a phrase he had heard Memphis use and no doubt she had picked up the eloquent little remark from the humans. They were quite good at coming up with a variety of expressions for each and every situation. "It's freaky!"

"I'm not... I didn't... I don't..." Milgazia stuttered to find the right words to say, but they were simply none. Thus he took a deep breath and decided that, first things first, he should begin with a simple and reasonable request. "Dolphin, please stop pulling at my arm." Surprisingly, the monster lord did so. Once that was out of the way, Milgazia proceeded to inquire as calmly as he could. "Why do you wish to go on a..." it was too weird to say it, Linesword was right, it was indeed 'freaky.' "On a date with me?"

"Oh it's not that I like you or anything," Dolphin twisted her nose in disgust. "I've seen sailors that are better on the eyes than you, in fact sailors are... Er, never mind, that would be getting off topic. My point is that I don't find land lovers like you the least bit attractive. However, Zelas is always hanging around you, sucking information out of you with her diplomatic meetings, so I decided to top her by taking you out on a date, then I can get more info and come up with a plan to gain some power so that I don't have to be embarrassed that I'm not even as strong as Xellos and I won't need to have Riksfalto hanging around me playing bodyguard all the time." Dolphin twitched. "Oh and if I do get attacked and, and, and Riksfalto gets destroyed, and, and, and there's no one there to do anything about it, then I can use my power combined with yours and fusion magic the enemy to next Tuesday!" She twitched some more. "Cause you know, fusion magic is strong, but I need to have a dragon near by to do it. Oh and since Zelas is my ally, don't you even think about betraying me because then she'll cook you. If she asks, just make sure to tell her I'm only borrowing her dragon, not stealing it, I mean you."

"A nervous breakdown as an after effect of what Darkstar subjected her to?" Milgazia theorized.

Riksfalto let out a hopeless breath and nodded, "yeah, ruin paranoia."

To be Continued


	25. Chapter 25

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 073: Lunatic! We're All Mad Here

Milgazia was stuck thinking about how to handle the unlikely, but apparent, situation of Dolphin having a nervous breakdown that drove her to seek a creative way to protect herself. Darkstar had drilled the fear of death into her head during her captivity, something that Milgazia did not doubt that he could do, thus it was only natural that she clung to the life giving power of fusion magic, even subconsciously, as a form of protection. After all, even when monsters wanted destruction, they had their, ifs, ands and buts about it, as if they didn't want to just get it over with. Exterminating others, they would do it, especially when it empowered them, thus making them safer at the same time, in the case of the higher ranks, or preventing them from being labeled as incompetent and exterminated by their superiors in the case of the lower ranks. Yet at the last moment, like any sentient creature that existed, they wanted to continue existing. They were chaotic, not nothingness, after all. 

This also worried Milgazia for another reason. Zelas had been studious in overcoming the monsters' known weaknesses and even managed to provide several of her minions with added defenses through various processes. Fang was a monster and fox chimera, part monster and part living beast. Xellos had experienced humanity and retained the lessons learned well enough so that he was stronger as a monster towards their usual weak points. However, Zelas had not made any changes to herself, yet she was able to adapt to wielding courage, albeit it still pained her. Granted, Canal was able to wield wrath, but upon remembering the situations he had been told about in stories shared while traveling through space in the over-world, Milgazia mused that they were worse off than he thought. Just as Canal had been outmatched at that time, so were they. The balance of darkness and light was so off that one side wielded the power of the other in an effort to restore that balance and that led to evolution, the mixture of light and dark. To take some of the opposing forces and wield them to even out the field, said field would have to have been severely tilted in the first place.

It all also reminded Milgazia of when he started to wield black magic, even mastering several spells that borrowed power from Zelas. He wasn't raised to do so, being a golden dragon and all. He should think he would want nothing to do with such forces after the events of the War of the Monster's fall. Yet he took that power and used it as if it was his own, his instinct guiding him in an ironic twist that felt too necessary to be a mere coincidence. To win is to lose and to lose is to win. Those who push the world out of balance will have their power taken for the purpose of trying to restore that balance. Over a year ago the battle had been motion versus stillness, ever changing life versus eternal death, chaos versus nothingness. This time it was an odd mix of a being that wielded both darkness and nothingness in unpredictable ways. Yet one thing had to be the same as last year, Milgazia didn't know how, but he knew it. "She knows..." He muttered under his breath. 'Zelas once again knows more than she lets on,' Milgazia mused. She must have reached the same conclusion as him as us and didn't further push the worlds out of balance even if she had the chance to kill Luna, maybe even ruin or seal her very soul to prevent the knight of Ceifeed from reincarnating. Yet she let her go so easily, she must have expected to require using Luna's power for herself in the future somehow. Maybe it was just an inexplicable instinct, but a beast's instinct was usually right.

"Who knows what?" Dolphin snapped, not liking the long silence. She wasn't used to being in such a weakened state and the feeling of Darkstar's power trying to overtake her was far too fresh in her mind for her uneasiness to leave her any time soon. Receiving nothing but silence in exchange for her question, Dolphin continued with a thoughtful expression replacing her slightly psychotic one from before. "A monster who is worried about dying, the world is a backwards place if I am haunted by what I feed on."

"One less person alive means one less to threaten you. Submission gives you power to protect yourself. Your so called inclination towards destruction is self preservation to the extreme," Milgazia pointed out.

Riksfalto's glare intensified on the golden dragon elder and she opened her mouth to speak with none too polite words. Yet before any sounds could depart from her throat, Dolphin raised her hand to silence the monster general. The monster lord of the sea smoothed out her blue dress as if to buy herself some time with useless fidgeting to calm her indignation. "Way to throw our principals on our faces, but it's not like I didn't know that monsters are contrary. We're supposed to be, I think, we're chaotic," she grinned almost insanely.

Milgazia concluded then that Dolphin was indeed rather unstable. He had heard the rumors of her having gone insane after having to remain at the sea for such a long time, yet during his brief meetings with her before; she seemed to still have her sanity intact. Or at least she was as sane as anyone else in the group of people that sometimes crossed paths with Lina Inverse. Perhaps there was another less sane side to her that came and went and Darkstar had brought it out. Contemplating her and trying to guess her actions, Milgazia remained silent unsure of where he stood, and most importantly from his perspective, unsure of how safe his clan was. He could take on Dolphin in her weakened state, though Riksfalto would give him trouble. Even so, with his fellow dragons having recovered to an extent, victory was a very realistic possibility. Yet Zelas had granted Dolphin protection and all that Beast Master had to do to obtain a fatal revenge was refuse to do anything at all, as her help would surely be needed against Darkstar. 

Unsatisfied with the silence, Dolphin insisted. "So, are we going out or what?"

Milgazia sighed hopelessly. Monster lord or not, rejecting such an unstable woman felt as if it was a very suicidal idea. He prepared himself for a big headache and finally breathed out a tired, "yes."

Both Linesword and Riksfalto stared at him in open mouth shock while Dolphin clapped her hands together. "Grand! Let's go then."

"Where?" Milgazia inquired with disdain.

Giving the prospect some additional thought, Dolphin realized she had not planned things out that far. She just wanted a creature that was as opposite as possible to Darkstar near by to use as a potential shield. "Anywhere is fine, you can pick as long as it's not in the center of dragon society or something like that."

"Very well, I will think of something," Milgazia agreed.

"Wha..." Linesword tried to speak, but he was simply too shocked. He swallowed hard and pushed his voice to function. "Sure they're both pretty, but they're also both rather insane." He had the nerve to joke about Dolphin and Zelas, while Milgazia gave him a displeased look. The elf gave the golden dragon elder a pat on the back. "Good luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine, as you've always behaved like a perfect gentleman, so I see no reason why things wouldn't go perfectly." He let out a small laugh, knowing very well that this so called date would be nothing like a real date.

"I'm tagging along," Riksfalto half requested and half declared, her mouth turning into a dissatisfied line.

"Of course you are," Dolphin nodded with insistence. "In fact, I'm ordering you to play the third wheel." With a frown and an impossible to understand grumble, Riskfalto nodded and accepted her unwanted role.

Before Milgazia could even decide on where he could take Dolphin that seemed acceptable to her and not too troublesome to anyone who could be nearby or himself, a dark presence invaded his senses. This time he noticed right away and was on guard when the monster in question appeared. 

"Erosnum!" Linesword was the first to verbally identify the dark creature.

"I thought I sensed Deep Sea Dolphin here," Erosnum spoke in a mocking voice as several monsters continued to materialize behind him. "My last endeavor in the Kataart Mountains was not a favorable one, but this time I've brought more monsters with me. 

"Hey!" Dolphin placed her hands on her hips and glared in indignation as Riksfalto looked back and forth between Dolphin and her former monster allies. "Those were my minions, you traitors! Milgazia, sick 'em, boy!"

"You are pitiful and I will-" Erosnum's threat was interrupted when he sensed something. He looked to the golden dragon elder, who was quietly chanting something.

Soon another presence joined them. A feminine tan arm locked itself around Milgazia's neck in a headlock akin to what Lina would sometimes use on Xellos. "What's the big idea, dragon boy? Summoning my power like that. All my spells should be unusable for now, leave it to the obnoxious Milgazia to tap into my energy and specifically me rather than the other three bigger portions. I can block it rather easily with my current much smaller astral body since power doesn't seep out as much, but the constant tug is terribly annoying and-" Zelas suddenly released Milgazia, who occupied himself in getting some air into his thirsty lungs. "I see, so this is why you were calling for me, the traitor is here." She glared at Erosnum fiercely, as if she had her full power at her disposal, even if she did not.

"Lord Beast Master!" Xellos appeared, causing Erosnum to look tense. The traitor knew he couldn't win against the general priest.

"Stand down, Xellos, you too, dragon boy, and I don't even have to tell the rest of you to get out of the way, do I?" Riksfalto crossed her arms and grunted as she stepped aside, while Dolphin swiftly positioned herself between and behind Xellos and Milgazia. "I alone will be your opponent, Erosnum."

Erosnum stared in disbelief, then laughed mockingly. "Liar, you don't have the power right now. You'll just send Xellos to get me. He might be able to beat me, but you'll never get over the shame of having to be protected by your minion, instead of just served by him like a prideful beast!"

Zelas huffed, "if I were to die over something like that, I would already be dead." Though she was technically admitting her own weakness, she was so prideful and mocking about it that it unnerved Erosnum. "What do you think I've been doing this whole time if not fighting creatures bigger than me? I think I'm beginning to understand why a human such as Lina Inverse is so strong, even if humans are supposed to be frail, she has a strong spirit. Monsters are basically spirits in a sense. Brute force is fun and all, but a true beast has cunning too. I have no doubts that I will win."

"Lord Beast Master..." Xellos quietly murmured his master's name before smiling widely and cheering. "Wipe the floor with him! I won't get in the way, but I will be cheering for you from the side lines!" 

"Isn't cheering counterproductive for a monster?" Linesword wondered aloud, but no one was really paying attention to him at that point, albeit many had arrived to witness the spectacle, observing quietly. Among them were Memphis, Vrumugun, Phythan, Onyx and several dragons from Milgazia's clan.

"Enough of this!" Erosnum charged forward, but Zelas nonchalantly held out the crescent moon jewel that once held Luna's soul and it captured the traitorous monster instantly.

The jewel pulsated in protest, but Erosnum was unable to break free. "A short anti-climatic battle is all that an unworthy creature such as yourself deserves." She shattered the jewel, ruining Erosnum and destroying him. She looked at the other monsters that had arrived with Erosnum threateningly. "Alright, who's next?"

The monsters looked at each other, not knowing what exactly just happened, except that Erosnum had been very easily destroyed. Without another second to waste, they ran away. "That's right, run away you traitorous land lovers!" Dolphin shouted after them. "When I get my power back from Darkstar I'm making you scrub the ocean floors clean with a toothbrush!"

"That made no sense..." Linesword quietly commented, though he was beginning to understand that with a crazy group like this, nothing ever did. "Just how many of those jewels do you have and how come it didn't absorb you?"

"My strength of will is far stronger than Erosnum's, so I could resist the pull of the jewel," Zelas explained. "I only actually had one, but those monsters didn't ask, so I didn't tell them."

"You're awesome, Lord Beast Master! Let's do a victory cheer for Beast Master! Yay!" Xellos cheered loudly. He glanced over at the others, pouting, "you're not cheering."

"You really expect us to?" Milgazia asked in disbelief. Then again, this was Xellos and crazy antics were not so rare with him. "Yay..." He muttered with sarcasm.

"Louder!" Xellos screamed at Milgazia's face.

"Yay..." Milgazia grumbled again, with even more sarcasm than before.

"Louder!" Xellos insisted.

"Yay... No way!" Milgazia suddenly stopped himself in realization. "You are not tricking me into reenacting a scene from that crazy pony show you were obsessed with in the over-world!"

Xellos' only responded by once again screaming, "louder!"

Milgazia sighed; he would have to humor Xellos with this if he was going to get him to shut up. Feeling utterly ridiculous, he took in a big breath, exaggerating the action and let out a rather soft sounding, "yay!"

Xellos fell to the ground rolling in an uncontrollable fit of giggles, while Milgazia begrudgingly completed the scene with the ironic question of, "too loud?" While Xellos kept giggling unable to stop.

"What just happened?" Riksfalto voiced the question that was on all the minds of those who had not visited the over-world.

"I'd like to know that too," Dolphin added, as Linesword and several others nodded in agreement.

"No you don't," Zelas assured. "Trust me; you really don't want to know. Only a very strong monster can withstand that."

Dolphin shuddered involuntarily. "Alright, I'll take your word for it and be thankful for my confusion."

"At least there were no skirts involved in this," Zelas mocked. She was referencing the events that occurred at a brass rackets tournament over a year ago. 

"I thought we agreed we would never speak of that again," Milgazia reminded.

"Wait, was that the time when Xellos got all jealous and protective because he thought you were dating Milgazia?" Dolphin recalled.

"That is what we agreed never to speak of again," Zelas pointed out. "Discussions about Milgazia in a skirt are perfectly acceptable."

"No they're not!" The golden dragon elder growled.

"What about Milgazia in that loincloth outfit from Rolly-Rolly Village?" Dolphin giggled, feeding off the dragon elder's embarrassment and frustration. "That was pretty hilarious too."

"Can we please stop discussing me wearing anything?" Milgazia grumbled with a frown.

"What are we supposed to discuss then? You wearing nothing?" Zelas asked sarcastically. "That's the kind of conversation only Galathia would be interesting in."

Milgazia sighed hopelessly, "I can never win, can I?"

"Hey I just noticed something; the ever dull Milgazia actually has some emotional energy seeping out of him now." Upon hearing Dolphin's observation, Milgazia put his discipline to use and calmed himself, cutting out any perceptible emotional output. "Oh, never mind, I spoke too soon."

"It's true, he does come out of his shell every now and then now a days, but only for a little while," Zelas observed. She went over to Xellos, who was still rolling on the ground giggling and pulled him to his feet. "That's enough, Xellos, it couldn't have been that funny."

Between fits of ever persistent laughter, Xellos replied. "It is if you imagine this whole scene with Milgazia wearing Fluttershy's Grand Galloping Gala dress."

"I would never!" Milgazia growled, sounding very much like a ferocious angry dragon, who was casted into the villainous role in a fairy tale. 

A moment of silence paused afterwards until Zelas burst out laughing along with Xellos. "I still don't get it," Dolphin pouted.

"Maybe it's for the best," Riksfalto commented and Linesword nodded in agreement. "Lord Deep Sea Dolphin, are you still going on that date with Milgazia?"

Dolphin nodded, "I suppose I might as well."

"What? With Dolphin, really?" Xellos pouted. "I thought you had better taste than that. So you're not secretly stalking Beast Master?"

"I'm not stalking anyone. I'm the one who's being stalked by insane monsters!" Milgazia argued. "Besides, didn't you want me to stay away from Beast Master?"

"Yes, I still do," Xellos assured. "But if you switch to Dolphin now, people are going to think she's better than Beast Master and I can't allow that. The dragon race, and every other race, should know that Beast Master is the best!"

Milgazia whispered something along the lines of "mama's fan boy," that no one quite caught. 

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Dolphin stomped her foot in indignation.

"My... little... mermaid..." Another voice joined the conversation as an exhausted human man made his arrival known. "There you are!" He exclaimed as he spotted Dolphin and inexplicably regained his energy upon seeing her. "I'm so glad to finally see you again, my beauty of the sea!" This was none other than Wizer Freion in a pirate outfit. "Ah, Zelas, Milgazia, how I miss my days as your brass rackets trainer. I do hope that one day you'll both return to the professional circuit. As for you, my little mermaid, I did all that you instructed and became a great pirate feared in the seven seas!"

"Um..." Dolphin looked lost in thought for a moment before finally asking. "Who are you again?"

Wizer nearly fell down at the question. "How could you have forgotten me? Oh my beautiful little mermaid, you are so cruel to my longing heart!"

"Oh yeah!" Dolphin suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands together in realization. "I remember you now; you were that insane guy who kept serenading me so terribly out of tune. I sent you on a crazy near impossible quest to become a legendary pirate. You actually did it? How surprising, I thought you'd die at sea for sure. Well I suppose I could welcome you into my ranks, but you have to tone down the stupid mushy stuff, us monsters don't like that."

"I understand, sweet mermaid, my heart shall be as black as the darkest night with love for you!" Wizer cheered.

"Isn't that a contradiction?" Milgazia reasoned.

"Have you forgotten all about Wizer? He is a living contradiction," Zelas pointed out.

"Right..." Dolphin shifted uncomfortably in the presence of such affection. "So, since you're my minion and all, I'm sending you out on a mission. Go get me some rare treasure from some rich sunken pirate ship or something."

"Right away, my lovely mermaid!" Wizer cheered and, with an inexplicable burst of energy, he dashed down the mountain.

"So now you're dating Wizer and Milgazia?" Zelas teased. "Aren't you the loved one."

Dolphin twitched at the mention of love, even the thought of it was unpleasant. "On second thought, I'm not going out with Milgazia after all. Having a human fall in love with me is troublesome enough, but a dragon would be much worse, I imagine. Maybe I should just go home and take a nap. Come, Riksfalto, we're leaving."

"Yes, Lord Deep Sea." A none too happy about the antics Riksfalto, disappeared along with the somewhat tired Dolphin.

"You just got dumped," Zelas teased.

"Woe is me," Milgazia once again let his usually well hidden sarcastic streak show.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 074: Reconcile! Meant To Be

After most of the crew had caught up on a few things that needed to be done, they all got together at Zephilia to enjoy a big meal. As always, Lina and Gourry were the ones that ate the most. After dinner the red haired sorceress and the blond swordsman snuck away and went for a walk. They stopped at the Zephilia park and unconsciously headed to a specific spot. "This is..." Lina whispered in realization.

Gourry, sometimes being a little clumsy with words, put the situation bluntly from what he could interpret. "This is the same place where you dumped me, isn't it?"

In this case it was a good thing that he told it like it was, because then Lina could realize that he didn't really know it like it was. "I dumped you?" She placed her hands on her hips angrily. "You dumped me!" She poked Gourry's chest with her right index finger in an accusing motion. 

"No, I didn't," Gourry insisted. "I know my memory isn't the best sometimes, but I remember this. You broke up with me, just like Luna said you would, and I told you I understood and that I wanted to still be friends."

"Luna?" The mention of her sister made Lina stop cold and reevaluate the situation. "Luna told you that I wanted to break up with you?"

"I think so..." Gourry replied unsure.

"Luna!" This time Lina's shout was not filled with fear, but with an unparalleled fury. She dashed out of the park and back to her house.

"Lina?" Gourry blinked in confusion over the sudden outburst, before deciding that it was best to swiftly follow.

xoxox xox xoxox

Lina threw the door to the Inverse residence open. The action made Luna shake her head in disapproval. "Lina, you know better than to come in like that. You are being quite rude," the elder Inverse sister scolded.

Surprisingly, Lina didn't even flinch. "You were the one who confused Gourry and made him think I wanted to break up with him!"

"Oh that..." Luna realized what her sister's anger was about. "It was all a misunderstanding that I thought you too could clear up. I was going to say something if you didn't, but then there was that whole mess with Darkstar and I couldn't do anything. When we were reunited, I thought you guys had already fixed things, so there was no need to bring it up. I do deeply apologize to you both for the misunderstanding that I accidentally caused." Lina was still raging mad, the petite sorceress' energy was projecting itself as a red hot aura around her. "Is it just me, or has her bucket capacity increased dramatically?" Luna wondered.

"Must be that training she did in the over-world, something about coaxing more energy to come out and levitating without casting a spell," Gourry recalled.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows," Lina began to cast her signature spell, feeling as if it had been far too long since she used it and now was the best time she could think of to put it into action. "Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand, before the mighty gift bestowed-"

"Lina!" Light interrupted his daughter's chant with a scolding tone. "You know the rules, young lady, no ultra destructive spells inside the house! If you want to blow each other up, take it outside and make sure you don't step on your mother's flower garden!"

Lina immediately stopped her chant and allowed her spell to dissipate as both she and Luna automatically lowered their heads and said, "yes father," then they obediently exited the house with a perplexed Gourry tagging along after them.

Lina let out a frustrated breath, having calmed down just barely enough to know that trying to Dragon Slave the Knight of Ceifeed was a bad idea. "I really am sorry," Luna apologized again.

Lina sighed, "I guess I'll have to forgive you. But you owe me some free food at the cafe!"

"Fair enough," Luna agreed. "Well then, I'm sure you both have things to talk about, so I'll leave you alone now." She went back inside the Inverse residence, closing the door behind her.

A moment of silence passed between Lina and Gourry, until Gourry finally asked. "Hey Lina, if you weren't going to break up with me back then and if after all that's happened you still don't want to, can we go back to being engaged like before?"

Lina blushed, feeling like she did the first time she started her relationship with Gourry. "Yes..." She paused, remembering what she meant to say when the misunderstanding began. She wasn't going to let the opportunity slip away again. "Actually, no, not like before at least." Because their previous engagement was an indefinite one without real plans of marriage.

"No?" Gourry looked disappointed. "Why not?"

"That time I wasn't going to break up with you, but I did have something to tell you," Lina revealed.

Interested and curious, Gourry asked, "what is it?"

"I was going to tell you," Lina blushed even more, her face a bright crimson like her hair. "I was going to say..." She took in a deep breath and stood up straight, ending her fidgeting and looking at Gourry instead of the ground. "I wanted to say that I'm ready." She finally confessed.

Time stood still as Gourry stared into Lina's eyes with an intense expression of deep thought that made her heart race. Then, in true Gourry fashion, his face gained a look of innocent confusion as he inquired, hand behind his head, "ready for what?"

"How could you ask me that, jelly fish brain!" Lina flailed her arms around and stomped on the ground, cheeks ablaze, as she took in big breaths of air. "I suppose it has been a long time, but you did say you'd wait, so I figured if I didn't say anything, you'd just wait around forever. So... yeah... What I'm trying to say is that we've known each other for a long time and we've been engaged for over a year, there was that time apart in the middle, but that's not the point. What I mean is..." 'C'mon Lina, just say it, spell it out for him or he won't get it!' "I want to marry you."

Gourry's face lit up with absolute joy. "Really? You do?" He picked up Lina, spinning her around, reminding her of just how small she was. "I'm so happy, thank you, Lina." Before the petite sorceress could say anything more, the swordsman kissed her and by the time they parted, she thought that she didn't really need any more words after all.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later that night, Lina realized that though Gourry had met her family, she still had not met any of his relatives as far as she was aware. She knew they were all traveling swords men and women, but she thought that there must be someone who had settled into a permanent residence somewhere that would be easier to track down. "We could go see grandma," Gourry suggested as he tried to think of a close relative of his that wasn't too hard to find or lived too far away. 

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see her!" Rather than being filled with nerves, Lina was overloaded with curiosity, for the time being at least. She knew that they didn't have a lot of time to spare, so she called for Fang to teleport them. 

Following Gourry's instruction, the monster fox chimera took the pair to a cottage in a clearing in the middle of a thick forest that Lina imagined was pretty easy to get lost in. After delivering his passengers, Fang returned to his duties at Wolf Pack Island. 

Gourry and Lina approached the cozy little cottage and Gourry cheerfully called out. "Grandma, are you home? It's me, Gourry!"

The door to the cottage was opened by an elderly woman who was human in appearance. Nothing seemed to particularly stand out about her physique or her simple green dress except for the fact that her white hair was adorned with a crown of flowers that one would expect to see upon the head of a young maiden. "Gourry, my child, it is very good to see you, come in dear, and who is this young lady you've brought with you?"

"Hey granny," Gourry smiled greeting his grandmother as he and Lina entered the cottage. "This is my bride to be, Lina Inverse." The little house was impeccably clean and organized with beautifully carved wooden furniture that held a quiet simple elegance and flowers contained in vases all around. "Lina, this is granny Melly."

Lina quietly recognized one of the vases as being something Gourry purchased from Filia. He had asked her to cast a monster courier bird summoning spell to have it delivered last Christmas, though Lina had not been paying close attention to the details as she had been in the middle of her own holiday shopping frenzy. "Hello," Lina vowed respectfully. "It's very nice to meet you ma'am." A bit of nerves were starting to make their presence known in Lina, though she was still mostly calm.

"Oh, there's no need for such formalities," Melly hugged Lina. "You did save my life after all."

"I what?" Lina stared in surprise.

"She did?" Gourry sounded just as shocked. 

"Yes, back when I was just a young girl, Lina Inverse teamed up with your grandfather to save me and my people," Melly revealed. "I knew the day would come when we would meet again. "It's too bad my dear Rowdy isn't here to see you again too. But you know how it is for soul mates, when they reincarnate, they are destined to meet again and so one day, after I leave this life for the Sea of Chaos and return once again, I'm sure I'll find him again. Ah, but I'm getting all nostalgic now..."

"Soul mates, huh?" Lina mused.

"Didn't we hear something about reincarnation before?" Gourry wondered aloud.

"Yes, with Gorun Nova," Lina reminded. "I've heard other legends too. They say that though people may feel affection towards several others during their countless reincarnations, when they finally find their soul mate it is distinctly different. Then from that point on they are destined to meet again and again."

"Didn't Milgazia have a crush on Flagoon too?" Gourry randomly recalled.

"Yeah, we better not point any of this out too much or Zelas might get ideas and take to teasing him about getting dumped for a sword or some such similar joke. I'm sure neither Milgazia nor Gorun Nova will appreciate her taunts much," Lina concluded.

"It's okay, Gorun Nova has Flagoon, but Milgazia still has Zelas, right?" Gourry smiled with a clueless innocence in his eyes.

Lina sighed hopelessly. "You better not let Zelas hear you saying something like that, or she'll have your head."

"Okay, she's shy, I understand," Gourry nodded.

Lina couldn't help it but to roll her eyes as Melly laughed softly. "I guess you must be used to Gourry's antics since you're his grandmother and all." The sorceress chuckled in good humor.

"Oh yes, he always makes things so lively around here," Melly smiled. "Oh my, I haven't even served my guests any tea. How about I make you some, then we can have cookies to go along with it."

"Alright!" Lina and Gourry cheered in unison.

They sat at the table while Melly prepared the refreshments. "I was thinking about what you said, and thought it was impossible for me to have met you when you were little, as I shouldn't have existed back then. But now that you mentioned Rowdy's name it reminded me of something," Lina voiced.

"I'm still confused," Gourry complained.

"Time travel," Lina explained. "I once traveled back in time temporarily and fought alongside a boy named Rowdy, who wielded the sword of light. He had an elf sweetheart called Mellyroon, was that you?"

"That's right," Melly confirmed.

"But how is that even possible. I mean, Rowdy was a human, so wouldn't you still be a kid when he's an adult? By the time you're old enough to even consider marriage, he'd be old enough to be a grandfather!" Lina exclaimed in confusion.

"You already spoke the answer," Melly pointed out.

"Time travel," Lina realized. 

"I remember Rowdy aging faster than I did. He always showed me kindness, though he thought he would be too old to marry me by the time I was old enough. Even so I was determined," Melly revealed. "Thus after a life of growing up at a much slower pace while Rowdy aged as humans do, I time traveled into the past and was able to meet Rowdy as a young adult when I was one myself. It was a little odd sometimes seeing Rowdy off, knowing that he was going to visit my younger self as promised, but the wait was well worth it, as I had the opportunity to spent two human lifetimes with him, as a friend and as a wife. As for my human appearance, it is but a disguise. Mellyroon the elf ceased to exist with my decision to defy time and Melly the human took her place. After I married Rowdy, I lived as a human and rarely even remembered that I was an elf."

"Wow," was all that Lina could say. Then she glanced at Gourry somewhat accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me any of this, Gourry?"

"Tell you what?" Gourry inquired in perplexity.

"About Melly being an elf," Lina pointed out impatiently.

Gourry shrugged. "I guess I must have forgotten..."

"It figures..." Lina sighed as she took a drink of her tea and reached for a handful of cookies, then paused and delicately took one. She glanced at Gourry, who was looking anywhere but the cookies as if trying not to be tempted by them.

Melly got up from the table quietly and returned just as silently with two extra plates full of delicious cookies in such proportions that the mountains covered Lina and even Gourry. "Is this enough to make you relax?"

"But granny, you said I had to let the lady eat first," Gourry shifted uncomfortably.

"That's wise advice that should always be followed," Lina snickered and emphasized, "always."

Lina ate slowly, savoring the cookies one by one. They were very delicious and the speed at which she sampled them increased with each one. Before Lina noticed, she was shoveling the cookies into her mouth at top speed. When she broke free from the delicious trance, a horrified expression spread across her face. "I'm sorry!" She loudly exclaimed.

Melly laughed in good humor. "I'm sure my little Gourry feels very comfortable with you. Now that the lady has broken the ice, you can do the same, Gourry."

Gourry didn't have to be told twice before he started shoveling cookies into his mouth. "Hey, what about ladies first?!" Lina joined in, competing for the cookies like they always did when it came to food. Overall, they had a good time.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, when dark energies started being detected in several places throughout the peninsula, it became evident that the pieces of Beast Master were on the move. Surprisingly, Zelas insisted that she would take care of things herself and didn't even give Xellos any instructions. Of course, he still wanted to help, thus he ended up running through a jungle, chasing after the strongest piece. Said piece looked like Zelas did when she was the Berserk Beast and had no interest in standing still to talk to Xellos. Instead she dashed through the heavy flora of the jungle, gathering beasts to follow her, presumably to launch attacks on human settlements. "Wait, Lord Beast Master! Or is it Lord Berserk Beast? I just wanted to talk to-" A branch to the face silenced Xellos and tossed him back. "Ow..." He got up again and rubbed his nose. "I'm not going to catch her like this. Maybe if I embrace my inner beast..."

xoxox xox xoxox

At the same time, Seyruun was flooded in chaos as another Zelas with an appearance similar to her alternate sporty look that she usually used when playing brass rackets, spread trickery throughout the kingdom. From exploding fruits to random spells that turned people into rabbits and other creatures, the city was in disarray. Filia, Amelia, Zelgadis, Naga, Gravos, Jillas, Elena, Philionel and Gorun Nova tried to stop the mayhem, while Val and Palou actually seemed to be having fun with all the pandemonium. It was only a matter of time before Amelia and Naga were swayed into thinking that the chaos was more so amusing than it was bad and, despite the extreme disorder that threatened to tare the kingdom of white magic apart, started having fun too.

xoxox xox xoxox

Another piece of Zelas headed to the Elmekia desert, specifically to the crater left as a result of the previous battle with Gorun Nova. She began to dig deeper and deeper with the goal of causing the planet to fall apart by attacking its very core, thus ending the lives of all the creatures that required sustenance from the planet, which would become too unstable to be properly inhabited. Massive earthquakes and strange weather had already begun to assault the surface as a result.

xoxox xox xoxox

As for Zelas' persona, the glue that could keep all the pieces together, so to speak, she had returned to Wolf Pack Island after her little detour at Dragon's Peak and Milgazia had gone to find her. "Your other parts are making a mess of things. Shouldn't you be reabsorbing their power right about now?"

"I doubt they'll stay still and let me," Zelas, the persona, informed with her usual nonchalance towards trouble that was not necessarily troublesome to her. 

"Then what can be done?" Milgazia insisted on knowing as he followed her through the long elegant hallways of her palace. "I know you must have a plan to get your power back if you're being so calm about this!"

"Indeed... But first, some food," Zelas announced, reaching her kitchen and entering it. The kitchen was large, grand and well supplied.

"Food?" Milgazia stared in confusion. "But you don't even need it."

"That doesn't mean I don't want it, and I am a great cook. You've tasted my cuisine before, so you should know," Zelas reminded with confidence.

"Dragon cuisine?" Milgazia glared.

"Not this time," Zelas informed, ignoring his upset expression about the subject. "Since Xellos insisted on running out to play and everyone else seems to be pretty busy, I here by dub you my taste tester for this cooking session. Feel honored."

"I think I should feel worried," Milgazia frowned. "As crazy as life is, maybe there is more to this cooking session than meets the eye. You always have a strategic purpose in mind with everything you do, and I'm sure that isn't going to change any time soon. I don't know how this will help you recover your power, but somehow, it will."

Zelas shook her head, though more so in feigned disbelief than denial. "You know me so well it's beginning to get creepy. No matter, you would have figured it out eventually anyway. Now, let us prepare for the occasion."

"Prepare?" Milgazia didn't like the sound of that.

"Yes, prepare," Zelas tilted her head towards a rack in the corner where several aprons hung.

One of the aprons was pink and frilly with a picture of a yellow baby chick in the front. "Somehow, I can't imagine you wearing that."

"That's Xellos' apron," Beast Master pointed out with a laugh. "This is mine," she put on a black apron with glittery purple letters spelling out 'fear the cook.' Then she gave Milgazia another apron. "You wear this one; you wouldn't want to get your nice clean white robes stained."

"What's the point? You're going to dump something brightly colored and impossible to wash off on me on purpose anyway." Milgazia examined the yellow apron he was given, which held a caricature of a roasted dragon in a pose similar to a roasted turkey. He didn't like it.

"Put it on anyway," Zelas ordered. "And like I said, at least pretend you don't know me that well. I'm starting to get creeped out."

Milgazia frowned, "the feeling is mutual."

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 075: Balance! Arrival At The Zero Hour

"Lina! Lina Inverse, I know you're there!" The insistent voice made Lina stomp out of Melly's cottage, with a curious Gourry and Melly following her. The elf had since dropped her disguise and held a younger appearance than her human exterior.

"What?" The redhead sorceress yelled. "I was eating cookies; can't you keep it down so I can focus on that?"

"Um... Lina..." Gourry adopted a thoughtful expression that usually meant that he was going to say something silly. He pointed at the man who had been calling for Lina to come out. "Doesn't he look familiar? It's like I've seen him before."

The young man was dressed in mostly black with the typical attire of a black magic sorcerer. He had a sword strapped on his waist, which also seemed of familiar character to Gourry. The man had big pale blue eyes that gave him an innocent appearance, not befitting of a dark sorcerer or fierce swordsman. His ebony hair was a chaotic arrangement of wild curls that no amount of gel could coax into submission. "Lina Inverse... I challenge you to show me your Dragon Slave!" The man demanded.

Lina blinked in surprise, "who are you and why do you want to see my Dragon Slave?"

"I am the greatest sorcerer in the world of the future and as such, I demand to see your Dragon Slave! If you refuse to use your signature spell on me head on, I will cause chaos and destruction all over this planet until it is torn apart!" The mysterious man threatened. "Ah! Ha ha he ha ha!

Lina felt herself twitch, there was something about that laugh, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Finally she groaned, "okay," wanting only to be left in peace to eat.

"I will not hesitate to carry out my threats!" The unknown man warned. "If you continue to refuse to-" He paused, a look of realization overtaking his face. "Oh, you said okay? Well that was easy. Who ever said wisdom came with age? This Lina is the smarter Lina, far more compliant than the Lina of my time."

"Not near my garden!" Melly warned.

"Right..." Lina breathe. "Look, I don't know if you're really from the future or not, but regardless of that, if you want to get blown up by the great Lina Inverse, so be it!"

"But Lina, you might seriously hurt him," Gourry cautioned.

Lina had a curious and thoughtful look upon her face, as if she was trying to deeply analyze something. "My instinct tells me there's more to this guy than what it seems and my instinct has never been wrong before." She whispered to Gourry.

"In that case, gather around, I know of a wide area where we can go for this... experiment," Melly offered. Gourry, Lina and the unknown man, who had a peculiar chaotic feeling to him, gathered around the elf. She encompassed them all in her Raywing spell and quickly transported them elsewhere, flying rapidly through the air. 

They landed in a swamp in the outskirts of the forest, which Lina wasn't exactly pleased about. "Why did you bring us here?" She frowned and twisted her nose in disgust at the surrounding muck.

"I don't like this swamp at all," Melly admitted. "If you use your Dragon Slave here, you'll clear it all out and the crater that is left behind will surely become a nice fertile valley," the elf happily explained.

"I guess so..." Lina agreed. "Alright, you, get ready!"

"I'm always ready!" The sorcerer exclaimed.

Melly and Gourry backed away to give Lina some space as she began her chant. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand, before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hands. Let the fool, and the swamp, that stand before me be destroyed, by the power you and I possess... Dragon Slave!"

The usual effect following such a chant from Lina Inverse ensued as the land was effulged in a massive blast of power that left nothing but a crater where there was once a thick swamp. "Oh, how lovely, I'll plant lots of flowers here now that the nasty swamp is gone." Melly announced as she and Gourry rejoined Lina's side.

"Now let's see if that guy is as special as he thinks he is." Lina hopped down the crater where she found the bruised and burned sorcerer twitching in pain. "Look at that, I was right to think something was unusual about him, he actually survived that, sort of."

"Re... re... re-covery..." The mysterious young man muttered with difficulty, but failed to summon the inner strength to cast the healing spell, as his defenses had been exhausted in preserving his life. 

"Oh, whatever, it's not like he's a serious threat," Lina decided to be merciful. "Recovery!"

The man stood up as quickly as he could. "You didn't need to do that, I was perfectly in control of the situation." 

"Ha!" Lina chided, "you're not even fully recovered."

"That's not the point, I am alive and that's what matters. My mission in this time has been accomplished. Remember this, Lina Inverse, that I, prince Zoamelgustar, am strong enough to survive a direct hit by your Dragon Slave, so next time I request to test my power against the legendary Lina Inverse, do not speak those infuriating words of 'I'm too much for you, kid.' Ah! Ha ha he ha ha!"

"That's it!" Gourry recalled. "I knew he looked familiar and his sword too. He's Zangulus and Martina's son and that's his father's sword!"

"Then he was from the future!" Lina gasped, eyes going wide as her mind came up with all sorts of reasons for his visit to the past. "Wait a minute, how could you have trouble recognizing people you've seen recently and you can recognize someone you seen relatively recently, but as a baby! He's all grown up, I can see the resemblance to the baby if I look for it, but how did you pick up on it so fast?"

"That's easy," Gourry smiled proudly. "The sword is an easy give away."

Lina blinked and let out a hopeless breath, leave it to Gourry to be able to recognized swords in such detail. "Now that introductions are out of the way, tell me, Zoamelgustar, why have you come to the past? We're busy dealing with the threats upon the world in this time, don't tell me there's a future enemy we're going to have to deal with at the same time?!"

"Um... no... Well, I mean, the world's been in danger before every now and then since I was a child, but I didn't come here to warn you or anything. I just wanted to test my strength against your Dragon Slave, that's all," Zoamelgustar explained.

"And you time traveled for that?" Lina groaned. "Spoiled brat," she muttered.

"Prince Zoamelgustar!" A familiar golden dragon entered the scene, there was a flash of light and he emerged from what looked like a circular rip in the very fabric of time with an orange outline around it. The portal faded away a short while after it was created. The dragon looked a bit different, but still easily recognizable by Lina as being Phythan. "Oh, hello, Lina, Gourry, Melly," he greeted them all, which meant he must have gotten acquainted with Melly at some point in the future. He still held the same innocent light in his violet eyes when he pulled up his goggles to rest atop his head. His robes were a big singed though, as if something had blown up near him recently. He held a strange machine fashioned similarly to a bazooka, though it was smaller than one, albeit larger than a pistol. "Please go back to your time, prince, your training partner awaits for your usual sword and magic spar and I need to get back to my experiments if I'm ever going to reach the level Celo had. Beast Master won't like it if she finds out I'm wandering through time when I should be doing my intern duties."

"Alright, I'll go home and give my rival a taste of my power. With my chaos I shall win this time!" Zoamelgustar dramatically declared, ending the statement with a far too early victorious laugh. "Ah! Ha ha he ha ha!"

Phythan shot the gun to open a new portal and in another flash of light, the fabric of time was lightly ripped again, though this time the portal had a blue outline around it. Zoamelgustar jumped in and he was sent back to where he came. "I really should be going now, we're not supposed to be time hopping for no reason, it can break the worlds if we do it too much, but Zoamelgustar dropped the time portal gun when he used it, so he would have been stranded here," Phythan explained. "Ah, I'm probably saying too much already, well, goodbye." The golden dragon jumped through the blue outlined portal and seconds later, it disappeared after him. 

"Time portals, huh?" Lina mused aloud. "At least they fade away after a little while or the time stream would be full of holes by now." She couldn't help it but to curiously wonder who that rival of Zoamelgustar was...

xoxox xox xoxox

Parting ways with Milgazia, Zelas headed towards the location of her beast portion to find Xellos in one of his attempts to communicate with her, which, as all other previous similar interventions, failed miserably. "Sounds like she still won't listen to you, or maybe I should say, I." Zelas, the persona, voiced as she materialized next to Xellos, noting his peculiar attire.

"And here I thought I would get her to listen if I was properly dressed," Xellos pouted.

"Well, you can stop worrying about that now. I sense my monster part is at the Elmekia desert crater." As if on cue another earthquake shook the land, there had been plenty of those lately. "Get your pet and meet me there."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," trusting in Zelas' plan, whatever it may be, Xellos teleported to find Filia.

Left alone, Zelas moved towards her beast part, who was marching out of the heavily forested area and commanding her beasts to attack a human settlement on its outskirts. As amusing as the show was, enough time had passed and Zelas could feel the pulsations of Darkstar's power becoming ever stronger as the separation of the worlds got weaker. Such a broken state would surely suggest a do over from the Lord of Nightmares, which Zelas wasn't ready to prompt just yet, and most likely not for several millennia. The persona moved a certain dish she held in the astral side to the physical plane, where the beast could clearly perceive its scent as if by purely physical means. That beastly side of her, she knew, had an inclination towards physical detail especially concerning smells and would surely be called to attention by the scent of the roasted boar. The recipe and secret sauce were specially made and very much to the liking of the chef. As expected, the beast immediately noticed the scent of something grand and, as Lina Inverse would, she dashed towards it. Grinning, Zelas, the persona, disappeared, though with no intentions of escaping from the beast, but merely of leading her to the meeting place.

xoxox xox xoxox

When Milgazia arrived back at Dragon's Peak, teleported by Fang, he was covered in sauce stains. Those present at the mountain only glance at him in passing, with short casual greetings and didn't inquire for any explanations concerning his filthy state. They already knew the likely reason for that to be Zelas and thus no one bothered questioning it. 

The dragon elder got himself cleaned up and, without much explanation, received the item Fang had been holding for him and was teleported to Seyruun. At the city of white magic, the trickster side of Zelas was literally bouncing off the walls, giggling madly like something out of a horror novel from a dragon's perspective, except for Val that is, as he had been taught the enjoyment of chaos by Xellos, and was having fun. A stressed Filia, accompanied by Jillas and Elena a few feet further back as they could not match her dragon speed, dashed after Val, in a futile effort of trying to get his attention while the boy was too focused on the joyous chaos to notice.

It was at such a scene that Milgazia and Fang had arrived almost simultaneously as Xellos, who was still wearing his peculiar attire. Filia halted and blinked, not sure if she wanted to comment or not. She waited until she realized that she could not resist her curiosity and finally voiced her inquiry. "Xellos... why are you dressed in a fur loincloth?"

"I thought it might be helpful," Xellos smiled cheerfully as he always did. His words were true, but taken out of context they made little sense.

Filia opened her mouth to speak again, then closed it resolutely. "Never mind..." She looked at the approaching Milgazia who held a pie, with Fang not too far behind. "Milgazia, Fang?"

"Greetings Filia..." Milgazia rose an eyebrow at Xellos' unusual appearance, but decided not to ask and, so as not to waste time by provoking one of Xellos' 'rude dragons' rant, he included the purple haired monster in the greeting, "Xellos..." albeit with an obvious tone of lesser importance. 

Xellos gasped and pointed at the pie. "Is that Beast Master's ultra special meat pie?" His eyes opened for a moment as if contemplating the thought of stealing it.

"Yes and it's not for you," Milgazia quickly explained. "It's for the trickster. Zelas has assured that if I speak certain lines in her presence, she will follow me and try to steal the pie, then she is to be led to the Elmekia desert."

"I am to take Filia there too, but I was provided with no pie to bait her with," Xellos pouted.

"You would have eaten it yourself anyway," Filia pointed out. "Besides, why must I go to the desert? I am guessing the parts of Zelas are being gathered to be united as expected, but what role do I play?"

Xellos shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough. I would say, if I were to take a guess, something related to fusion magic."

"Ah... that makes sense actually," Filia nodded thoughtfully. "Fusion magic would be the key to putting her back together, most likely..."

"What I don't understand is how a pie would be of great interest to the trickster enough so that she may be led to Elmekia by it. Furthermore, why must I be the one to taunt her with it and not someone else? I suppose I'll know soon enough too. At least the boar recipe with the secret sauce made a shred of sense, the scent was rather appetizing," Milgazia confessed.

"Ah, so she's attracting her beast part with her favorite food other than dragon cuisine. Did you get to taste it?" Xellos curiously inquired, while in the background of their conversation, Seyruun continued to be immersed in deep chaos.

"No," Milgazia replied cautiously. "Not that I would want to eat food prepared by a monster if I can help it."

"You only say that because you didn't get to try it," Xellos assured. "If you had, you'd be begging Lord Beast Master for more. That roasted boar dish is only second to dragon cuisine."

"Xellos!" Filia scolded in displeasure, she didn't like talks about dragon cuisine.

"At any rate, I will go perform the task I was sent here to do." Milgazia stepped forward, holding the pie where the trickster could see it and loudly declared. "I have a delicious pie, yum yum, it's my delicious pie!"

"Could his acting be any duller?" Xellos mocked.

"Regardless of how much emotion, or lack of emotion the acting has, how is this supposed to get the trickster's attention anyway?" Filia inquired.

"Quite simple," Xellos watched as the trickster's eyes were locked on the pie and she charged forward to take it. Fang was faster and teleported Milgazia away, causing the trickster to follow them towards the Elmekia desert, via the astral side. "No trickster can resist a pie to the face of a dragon, especially one as inviting to pranks as Milgazia. He's so serious he just begs to be challenged by trickery."

"A pie... to the face..." Filia slowly repeated. "I suppose I've heard stranger things, and ruder too," she sighed hopelessly. 

Jillas and Elena approached. "Hello," Xellos greeted them with a smile, while the two foxes exchanged looks of peculiar confusion at his current attire. "Filia and I have to be on our way now, in fact, I should probably round up the whole crew while I'm at it, so that leaves you and the rest of the supporting cast to watch the kids and take care of things in this world." He offered no room for arguments or questions as he began his series of teleportations, gathering more passengers with each stop.

xoxox xox xoxox

At the Elmekia desert, the monster part of Zelas had further increased the depth of the crater, digging relentlessly towards the planet's core. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Xellos, Milgazia and Gorun Nova were all present at the scene, along with the main persona, plus the beast and trickster sides of Zelas. 

"Ow..." Lina complained, clutching her stomach. "Can't a girl digest her food in peace without being thrown all over the astral and physical planes so suddenly?"

"It's time to go and face Darkstar," Zelas announced. "Which means it's time for me to reclaim my power."

"You think you win?" The beast Zelas mocked. "I stronger!"

"Maybe so..." The trickster Zelas teleported next to Milgazia and snatched the pie he held. "But clearly..." The dragon elder thought it was okay to let her have the pie and eat it, just as the beast had devoured the boar, since the food had accomplished its purpose of leading them to Elmekia. However, the trickster didn't take the pie with the intension of consuming it and Milgazia soon found himself with a face full of it. "I'm the most cunning!" The trickster giggled.

Milgazia glared as he tried to clean himself up. "I don't even know what's worse, being all sticky with pie, or a giggly Zelas."

"Hey!" Xellos pouted. "Don't you dare criticize Lord Beast Master or any sides of her."

"Either way, I'm the most complete, I'm the one who has the best of all these aspects, monster, beast and trickster," the persona declared.

Another earthquake shook the land and the sands of Elmekia that were pouring into the crater continued to do so more rapidly. "It's getting hard to stay on our feet here, whatever we're doing; I suggest we do it fast!" Zelgadis urged.

"I actually must agree, I would have no world to rule over if my monster side destroys this planet," Zelas voiced. "I suppose I could always take over the over-world, but it's just not the same. Sure it's a big place, but even in its vastness it has nothing that measures up to our world's dragon cuisine!"

"That's right, our world is great!" Amelia cheered.

"Amelia!" Filia exclaimed in horror. "I would expect Lina to react positively to the mention of dragon cuisine, but not you."

"Oh, it's not that I'm encouraging it," the Seyruun princess clarified. "It's just that it's good to see miss Zelas being so patriotic."

"Right..." Zelas commented flatly. "Well," she glanced over at the beast and trickster, who had gotten into a fight with each other. "Let's get this show on the road. Fusion magic should do the trick. If things fall out of balance, just add more of what is missing."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Xellos stepped forward. "Now Filia, I know you're terribly clumsy, but you can't mess this up, so be careful and give it your all," he teased.

"I'm not clumsy!" Filia pouted. "You owe me for this, raw garbage."

To be Continued


	26. Chapter 26

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 076: Worlds! The Final Assault

Xellos and Filia began to prepare their fusion magic. Black energy with sparks of violet lightning gathered in his hands and golden energy with sparks of white in hers. They united the two energies into a ball that fused them both in swirls of black and gold with specks of violet and white like glitter. They couldn't go too fast or else they would throw the fusion energy out of balance, but they also couldn't go too slow, as it wouldn't grow sufficiently and they had little time to accomplish their mission. The orb of fusion magic concentration continued to grow as it was prepared to be large enough for its task, which was no easy feat. 

As another deeper earthquake assaulted the Elmekia desert, resonating from it all the way to the opposite coast of the peninsula, Zelas observed that the fusion magic gathered was almost sufficient. She charged forward unexpectedly and pushed the quarreling beast and trickster down into the deep hole where the monster was, taking hold of them with her astral side and keeping them in the target area. Xellos and Filia then released the large orb of fusion magic into the hole, sending it to sweep away anything in its path and push the persona, the beast and the trickster into the monster down below, to unite the four. 

A blast of magic echoed as the after shock emerged from the hole like a volcano of dark and bright light. Yet something was not right. "Lord Beast Master!" Xellos gasped, sensing his master's energy with great alarm at what he found. "It didn't work, that blast only hurt her, mainly the three that were closest to the surface!"

"But they're uniting, aren't they?" Filia focused her senses on what was happening below.

"No..." Milgazia's eyes went wide as he realized what this meant. "They're not uniting, the monster part was the least affected by the fusion blast because it was the one furthest away. The others were left injured in a sense, the monster is trying to consume them!"

"If one side of Beast Master consumes the others, her persona will be out of balance and she won't be the same!" Xellos rushed towards the crater. "She'll be ruined and we'll have only her monster side as a replacement!" Not the beast with an affinity to wild creatures, not the trickster who could be laid back and carefree, not the cunning plotting being who was a combination of many different aspects. The monster was the essence of her evil, the cruel side that took pleasure in suffering as more than a means of sustenance and a path to power. The part who wanted complete destruction, rather than continuous chaos, the part who would think that keeping wolves and other such beasts as pets would be pointless, as she would be an enemy to all those that live. The part that would give Xellos none of the special liberties that the true Beast Master allowed him, the part that would likely kill Filia and maybe even Lina and the others, never considering the thought of an alliance with such creatures to be worth entertaining. That wouldn't be the real Zelas, not the Zelas that Xellos held an unwavering loyalty towards, not his Beast Master.

"Xellos, wait!" Lina rushed forward, taking hold of the purple haired monster's arm. He could just as easily teleport out of her grip, as it was merely on his physical projection, but he waited. When Lina spoke in such a firm voice in these situations, it meant she had an idea. "Don't rush in there so recklessly. Don't you see that this is all just a purposely made miscalculation? There wasn't enough of a balance of darkness and light and Zelas' own energy joined the fusion rather than simply react to it, but Zelas warned you, remember?"

"That's right..." Xellos recalled. "If things are out of balance we need to add more of what is missing. Lord Beast Master is a monster of dark energy, so we need more light, more holy magic!" He realized.

Filia nodded, knowing that Xellos was counting on her. "I'll do my best," She levitated at the edge of the deep crater and began to send her energy into it in a big burst of gold.

"It's... It's not working..." Xellos worried.

"It is working," Lina argued. "No one ever said this would be easy or painless and Zelas knew that. The key to healing is also painful for a full monster such as her. This is entirely different from Val, because he was part dragon and part monster, thus none of the required energies for fusion were alien to him. This is far more complex and more dependant on Zelas' own will. An identity, the knowledge and belief of their own existence are all vital to a monster, she'll have to rely on that."

"You're right," Xellos agreed. "Then just as before, we will also serve as Beast Master's anchor in this world, just like we did when we faced the Stillness in its purer form over a year ago!"

"Everyone give your happy thoughts to Zelas!" Amelia cheered, before taking a moment to reanalyze the situation. "Okay, maybe not your happy thoughts since that might not be too healthy for her, just your thoughts then."

Wordlessly, Milgazia joined Filia and began to pour his own energy to fuel the chaotic fusion effect below. 'You knew the planet's wound was already too serious to be ignored, didn't you, Zelas?' He quietly thought. 'You knew your monster part would take advantage of it. All along, you knew what to do to pull yourself together, but it had to be done here, in this very place, close enough for the fusion to affect the planet itself. This was no accidental reaction; you allowed your own energy to become a part of the catalyst to power the fusion to an unprecedented level, to save your territory from destruction. To have an instinctual attachment to the world that holds your beasts and territory, even if you were told by your former master to destroy it, how very beast-like of you...'

As the fusion magic reached its peak, an explosion reached out to the skies from the crater. The waves of energy were so strong, that they blew everyone away in all directions. Rays of light and darkness colored the atmosphere with glowing points like raining stars of violet and white all around. Dazed, Lina sat up to realize that whatever she was sitting on had golden scales. As she saw Filia flying near by, she concluded that they were riding on Milgazia, who, along with Filia, had rapidly transformed to catch them. Fang deposited, an excited and optimistic looking Amelia onto Filia's back. It would make sense that the monsters would have to do some teleporting to assist in catching the group that had been thrown all around with such a force that Raywing couldn't withstand it to be used to carry them to safety fast enough. A rough, yet better than landing splat on the ground, catch, was their only option of survival.

Between the passengers of the two golden dragons, Lina observed that everyone was present and accounted for. She looked at Gourry who was on one side of her and Gorun Nova on the other, then glanced at the area where the crater at the Elmekia desert below used to be. There was nothing but the endless golden sands of the desert and no crater to be seen. Then a dark presence from above caused her to tilt her head upwards towards where a majestic figure floated. 

The creature had golden fur, ivory wings and glowing silvery eyes with elongated pupils. "I feel a little different maybe, but I'm still me." The shewolf grinned cunningly. "I'm sure the remnant of the Stillness within Darkstar would turn in its host if it knew I went as far as to erase the scars left on the planet's core from before. That thing or rather, that nothing, has no claim to make in my territory."

"Lord Beast Master!" Xellos cheered, hopping over to ride on her back. He threw his arms around her neck as if she were a giant plush. "Shall we go show Darkstar who's boss?"

"Absolutely," Zelas agreed. "The energies that keep the worlds apart have been weaken sufficiently for me to tare a path between them." Normally, such a thing would be impossible even for someone of Zelas' power, but there were special circumstances at play, as the worlds reacted to each other. "All crew, report to the Great Beast immediately!"

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis and Gorun Nova joined Xellos, followed by Filia and Milgazia, who changed back to their human-like form. "Lord Beast Master, I will await for the news of your victory!" Fang saw them off.

"I won't be gone too long this time," Zelas flew straight up towards the atmosphere, where the air was thin. The magic users created a shield around the group as Zelas ripped a small opening between the worlds and headed in, leaving the rip to close naturally behind her, though it would only close fully when Darkstar was defeated and balance was restored to the worlds.

xoxox xox xoxox

Zelas traveled through the space between worlds, changing as she went. Just as the magical shields faded, she changed into her space ship form and opened a hatch that led the crew to fall in. Soon the Great Beast emerged at the over-world in space and pinpointed Darkstar's location as well as the Swordbreaker.

An incoming transmission from Canal was received. "There you are! I've been looking for you."

"I know," Zelas replied before the image of Canal on the screen could finish. "It's time to face Darkstar."

"Right, let's do this," Canal declared with a tone similar to that of Amelia.

Zelas observed her crew, all of which looked ready to put up a fierce fight. She had evolved enough to draw power from all of them, not just the designated captain, and Xellos could further boost her system's functions. Thus Zelas, Xellos, Filia, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Milgazia and Gorun Nova, headed out to the final battle against Darkstar on the Great Beast, along with Canal, Kain and Millie on the Swordbreaker.

xoxox xox xoxox

The Swordbreaker and the Great Beast emerged from their light speed jump at what would become the site of their final battle. The massive ship Dugradigdu lay ahead, it's appearance different from what it had been before. The colossal vessel held a vast array of newly added weaponry, no doubt brought and installed by Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira, Ragudo Mezegis and Gorun Nova during their time of service to Darkstar. A communication link was opened between the three combatant vessels. "So you've finally come to challenge me. Your time of cowardice only served to make me stronger." Darkstar taunted.

"The amount of power you gained in this time is notable, but we gained a lot more, enough to surpass you," Canal retorted.

"Is that so? I recall you retreating because you didn't stand a chance and your little friend from that pathetic inferior other world was certainly no challenge. Is that a replica of her I see?" Darkstar curiously focused his radars on the Great Beast, the results of the scan perplexing him. "You are... real? But how?! I destroyed you!"

"You will learn the hard way that the monster lords of my world cannot be so easily defeated," Zelas threatened. "You don't stand a chance."

Darkstar couldn't understand how it was possible that Zelas could have survived his previous attack. "Then the one I destroyed was the replica?"

"You destroyed no one," Zelas taunted. "The one you fought before was me, but your attacks were useless."

Darkstar growled in frustration. "This time I'll make sure every piece of you both is no larger than a spec of space dust!" He no longer cared about extracting Zelas' power, she had become a problem and it was best to simply take the fastest route to eliminate her as soon as possible.

"Don't forget about us, Darkstar!" Kain challenged. "You'll have to contend with the inhabitants of this world and the next too."

"That's right, and let me tell you, I'm known for my ability to always come out on top!" Lina added.

"Enough of this, I will show you true power!" Darkstar initiated the assault by launching a rain of missiles upon the Great Beast and Swordbreaker.

The two smaller lost ships skillfully dodged the larger projectiles, countered others with their own and the ones that could neither be avoided nor stopped, crashed against their strong psy-energy shields. Canal opened a private communication link between the Swordbreaker and Great Beast. "If we get too close, he'll blast us point blank."

"I know," Zelas replied. "I've gotten accustomed enough to the burden of a physical vessel to realize that. Then our strategy should be clear. Draw out all his physical weaponry before charging in."

"Right, and since Darkstar is putting his resources into fighting, he won't be able to progress in absorbing Dolphin's power and destroying Dynast to absorb his power as well. They should remain protected by the encryption program till the end of this battle," a battle that was only getting started.

"Heh, I'm not their babysitter, my only concern is Darkstar's defeat." Zelas began to shoot missiles full force, to cause Darkstar to use his in retaliation. His vessel was too large to move as swiftly as the Great Beast and Swordbreaker, though its armor was far thicker.

"Missile usage to seventy-percent!" Millie announced.

"We're going to have to bring in the lasers soon," Kain decided. "Millie take your post!"

"Right!" Millie prepared, taking hold of the manual aim controls. "I'm the best shot in the universe!"

"I should thank you for the idea, Zelas, I too have learned to take energy from more than one source at a time," Canal announced. It was an unprecedented advancement for the lost ships native to the over-world.

"Is that so? Then that gives me an idea," Zelas grinned. "After our missiles run out, he'll still have plenty. The high precision lasers should detonate them at a safe distance, and Darkstar won't be too concerned with regular lasers, in fact he might not even notice what follows after them."

"I see where you're going with that," Canal agreed.

"Alright! It's about time we got to do something!" Lina cheered, also interpreting the strategy.

"What are we doing?" Gourry inquired in confusion.

"Never mind the details, just focus on being brave," Lina voiced.

"Okay, I can do that," Gourry smiled.

"The last few missiles are being launched," Xellos announced. "It looks like the Swordbreaker is running out as well. Activating high precision lasers. Lord Beast Master, should I?"

"Alright, get to work on gathering the psy-energy and I'll take care of the lasers. We'll need a lot of system resources for this, so..." A few panels opened up at the controls with manual aim systems. "A beast's instinct is more precise than anything, so my little beasts, fire when you see fit."

"Alright! This is just like a video game! I'll shoot down Darkstar's missiles in the name of justice!" Amelia cheered as she and the others took their positions.

The Great Beast and Swordbreaker shot a rain of lasers, both high precision and regular, mixed together in a blindingly bright light that generated enough interference to momentarily render Darkstar's radars and sensors useless. He wasn't too concerned as even if the lasers went beyond his energy shield, they couldn't truly harm his armor. Yet a surprise lay beyond the lasers. "The psy-energy blast is ready!"

"Zelas... that amount... your ship..." Canal warned.

"I get it," Zelas acknowledged. Even if she and Xellos, with even more ease than her, could handle positive psy-energy, hers was still a dark lost ship and some consequences with such a massive amount would be inevitable, but they could be reduced. "Linking psy-energy system... There, now we have access to the energy of each other's crew. Xellos, transfer some of that positive psy-energy to the Swordbreaker and divide the energy sources between us."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Xellos did as he was told.

"Ah, this is some quality energy, Darkstar won't like this surprise," Canal grinned mischievously. "Ready!"

"We're ready here too," Xellos added cheerfully.

"Fire!" Kain and Lina shouted simultaneously.

The continuous blast of the lasers was finalized by two massive blasts of psy-energy, which Darkstar didn't see coming until it was too late. The psy-energy broke through his shield and collided against Dugradigdu's armor, damaging it. "You'll pay for that!" Darkstar threatened. "It's about time I showed you my true power. I now appoint Dynast as the captain of this vessel!"

"Can he do that?" Zelgadis had a bad feeling about it.

"A lost ship as the captain of another lost ship is something unheard of, but with all the modifications Darkstar has made to his vessel, Dugradigdu, who knows what he might be able to do," Gorun Nova warned.

"Canal, will your program protect Dynast?" Milgazia inquired.

"Not like this," Canal grimaced. "It protects him from being absorbed into Dugradigdu, but to be used as an external power source like a human would be; I didn't even think Darkstar could develop the resources to accomplish that, so I have no counter measures prepared. Dolphin's presence isn't there anymore though."

"I guess it's a good thing I took her out of there, too bad I couldn't get Dynast out as well, but at least we only have half the trouble to deal with. If Darkstar can use a lost ship as a captain, then no doubt, he would be able to drain power from more than one source," Zelas theorized. "I'm sure he hates it, feeding on the power of life, the essence of the Stillness within him must make it so."

"I see, so even if Dolphin's power is still locked away, a prisoner of Darkstar, he can't use it because it is not a living thinking creature, thus no psy-energy can come of it alone," Filia concluded. "Then that means..."

"We'll have to get Dynast out of the way, or at least his persona," Xellos concluded.

"Darkstar probably has too much of a firm grip on the locked away power, so like with Dolphin, we'll have to leave that for later," Lina strategize.

"Actually, now that I've given it some further thought, we might not even need to be concerned with Dynast all that much," Zelas voiced.

"I hope you're right, because I detect a massive blast of dark psy-energy about to be shot at us!" Canal announced in alarm.

"Leave it to me. Xellos, create an inner shield with positive psy-energy," Zelas ordered.

"An inner shield, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos inquired in perplexity. "But the inner side of the Great Beast isn't as strong as the outer area. To shield it with energy opposite to it will only cause damage." 

"It will be fixed soon enough, so do it," Zelas ordered.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," not questioning his commands any further, Xellos placed a shield of positive psy-energy on the inner side of the Great Beast, specifically concentrating in the control room, where the crew was gathered. Sparks of electricity surrounded the area as the dark lost ship reacted badly to the shield.

Zelas moved the Great Beast to fly in front of the Swordbreaker, taking Darkstar's blast of dark psy-energy fully head on. The dark energy surrounded the vessel, causing physical damage with its intensity, but empowering her energy. The self repair system jump started at an amazing speed and made up for the physical damage received. The darkness penetrated the armor of the Great Beast, colliding with the shield of positive psy-energy, which Xellos held up. After the dark psy-energy had been mostly absorbed, Zelas cued Xellos to, "drop the shield!" Which he immediately did. The remaining dark pulsations made the walls of the control panel glow with swirls of black and purple, being ultimately absorbed to make up for the damage of maintaining the positive shield for the sake of the crew.

"Good strategy," Canal commended. "A dark lost ship can't be so easily harmed by its own element and you even managed to shield your crew."

"Nothing feels impossible anymore," Zelas admitted.

"Then it was the right choice for you to take on Darkstar's allied lost ships, you've come far since your initial arrival here and you even got Gorun Nova to join you, I can sense it's him, though in a different form," Canal revealed.

"The other world... it's not a place to be underestimated," Gorun Nova admitted.

"That's exactly what Darkstar is going to have to learn!" Lina announced with great determination.

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 077: Invasion! Fading Boundaries

Strong energy waves invaded the area in deep space where Dugradigdu, the Swordbreaker and the Great Beast fought. Darkstar attacked with more of Dynast's energy, but it was counteracted with the same technique as before. "Zelas, this strain is too much, even for a monster lord, and Dynast has been captive for a long time," Canal warned.

"Really, Canal? Don't you get it? Hostages have no effect on me," Zelas assured.

"I should have known," Canal laughed nervously.

The pulsations of energy all around turned into small rips in the over-world, which led to the Slayers' world. However, albeit increasingly numerous, they were far too small to allow any of the ships to fit through them. "Do you really think we're alone here?" Lina shared her suspicions.

"Nosy people just can't stay out of this, can they?" Zelas mused. "Follow me," electricity coursed through the Great Beast and smoke dissolved in space, but it was only a clever trick. She unexpectedly retreated, followed by the Swordbreaker.

Darkstar took the bait, believing the Great Beast to have been overloaded and damaged. He followed the two retreating ships to the area from where the Great Beast had emerged into the over-world for the final battle. "The rip you made is still present, Lord Beast Master, though opening it to a larger size would be rather difficult from this side. I suppose you could say our world is more volatile in composition thus a trip from there to a different world is easier than from another world to ours," Xellos informed.

"The same would go for the transmission of energy," Zelas agreed. 

"I have no doubts about it, Luna and all the others must have gathered in our world, most likely at the Elmekia desert. They'll be ready to send us their energy if we just get ready to receive it." Lina theorized, guided by her instinct, which had not failed her before.

Darkstar, who had been chasing the two smaller lost ships, opened fire again, with more of his missiles, lasers and dark energy. "Zelas, we need to get ready if that idea is to work. I'll take some of that dark energy too this time."

"You think you can handle it?" Zelas teased, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I can, I just need to redirect it to my weapons system. It may be bad for the Swordbreaker as a whole, but I can still use it as ammunition," Canal ascertained. "I won't use it now, as it won't work on Darkstar anyway, but I can transfer it to you at a slower pace and you can use it to repair your ship."

"Energy waves of untraceable origin detected from the rip!" Xellos announced. "It must be from our world."

"Then lets receive it," Zelas decided. "If the psy-energy is used to open a link, it should work. Amelia, Filia, you have experience in focusing in prayer, I'll give you this task."

"You can count on us and on justice!" Amelia cheered.

"This reminds me of the Stillness battle, we can win again!" Filia agreed with determination.

The energy sent from the Slayers' world gathered around the Great Beast and Swordbreaker, making it easier for them to defend themselves against Darkstar. "That power... Where is it coming from?" Darkstar growled in frustration. He traced it to the inter-world rip and hurried towards it. "I'll put an end to this!" He shot all his remaining missiles into the portal simultaneously.

"Those missiles, if they reach our world..." Zelgadis didn't even need to finish.

"If..." Lina emphasized.

Zelgadis gave the situation some further thought. "In his anger, Darkstar fired too many missiles at once. Most of them will crash against each other and explode on the way," he realized.

"And those that do reach their target won't be enough to defeat our allies," Milgazia agreed.

"Especially with the magic they wield," added Gorun Nova.

"That's right," Lina cheered, "they'll find a way to shield themselves."

"And while Darkstar is throwing a tantrum, we can attack him, right?" Gourry suggested.

A split second of collective silence overtook the ship, before Kain exclaimed. "What are we doing discussing it? Fire!" The notion didn't have to be repeated before it was swiftly followed.

Darkstar was forced to turn away from his task at the rip and set his focus once again on the present battle. Yet he was too close to the rip, albeit he couldn't fit through it. He tried to block it with Dugradigdu, focusing his shield in the front of the vessel, leaving the rear open with energy absorption devices to try to take the energy sent from the other world for himself. He was empowered at first and threatened to overload the systems of the Swordbreaker and Great Beast. However, it didn't take long for those sending that energy from the Slayers' world to realize it was being intercepted and turn it around to drain energy rather than give it. Darkstar was surrounded by electricity as he pushed Dugradigdu to cut the connection forcefully, but something had gotten a hold of him through Dolphin's power.

"Dolphin!" Zelas recognized the traces of energy of her fellow monster lord. "She's calling her power to return to her." Immediately, Zelas sent a transmission towards Dugradigdu, as it was the only way to get to Dynast. "Dynast, hold on to that stream of energy, I'll try to loosen Darkstar's grip on you. Don't hold on to your power, you can recover it later, hold on to the stream of energy that comes from our world!"

"I won't allow this!" Darkstar growled in frustration.

"This is it! Ready, Millie?" Kain's voice came through the shared communication link between the Sword Breaker and the Great Beast, though it was more so an internal conversation of the Swordbreaker's crew that time. "Millie?"

Millie was focused as if in prayer or deep meditation. "Not now Kain, the best in the universe is trying to sync her energy with Amelia and Filia. But to answer your question, the best in the universe reminds you that she is always ready!"

"She must be in deeper concentration than what it seems if she speaks of herself in third person," Kain commented.

"Psy-energy received!" Canal announced.

"Than I'll leave this one to you, since you have much more in common with Ceifeed," Zelas decided.

A ray of golden light emerged from the rip beside the stream of dark energy that pulled at Darkstar. It was the power of Ceifeed that Luna was channeling through the portal with Amelia, Filia and Millie turning the Swordbreaker into a beacon for it to follow. The hit made Darkstar retreat from his position in front of the portal, which kept on growing as more energy was sent through it. He had to release Dynast's persona in order to move out of the way and avoid another blast from the Knight of Ceifeed.

xoxox xox xoxox

Dynast crashed into the Elmekia desert like a meteorite and tried to, as quickly as he could manage, pull himself together. Taking on his human form, he examined the area around him, recognizing the endless stretch of golden sand as far as the eye could see, though it was littered with cannons and missiles. His numb senses return to him and his eyes focused on those around him. Among them, he recognized and quickly approached Dolphin. The monster lord of the sea was on her knees in deep meditation, coaxing her power to return to her. "Dolphin, Dolphin!" He tapped her shoulder insistently. 

"Hush! Don't bother me now, I need to concentrate!" Dolphin shrugged her shoulders aggressively, in an obvious hint that she wanted the annoying tapping to stop. Her hands were still clasped together as she muttered incantations under her breath that resembled her own spells. Though she didn't finish casting them, as that was not the purpose of the incantations, she used them to draw her power back towards her.

"But Dolphin, we're surrounded, there are dragons," most of them from Milgazia's clan. "And the Knight of Ceifeed is here and there are monsters too, and they're all just standing there and..." It was all too much for Dynast to take in all of a sudden.

Placing a finger over her lips, Memphis let out a screeching, "shh!" That shushed Dynast for the time being. Vrumugun gave him a 'you better listen to her' look, but didn't actually say anything. Phythan smiled with a thumbs up, while Onyx remained characteristically quiet.

Luna stepped forward, an orb of light turning in her hand. "This should do it..."

Dynast opened his mouth to warn Dolphin of her apparent impending doom, though the orb of light held by the Knight of Ceifeed was shot towards the sky and not through Dolphin as he imagined. "Better?"

"Oh yes, that bit of fusion does make the flow of energy easier," Dolphin agreed, eyes still closed in concentration.

Luna turned to the open mouthed, aghast Dynast. "Well, aren't you going to try to recall your power? If I mix my energy with yours on intervals, the pulses of fusion will make the flow easier too."

"Eh?" Was all that Dynast could mutter.

Riksfalto groaned. "We have a truce because none of us wants Darkstar to get his way. The Knight of Ceifeed is allowing Lord Deep Sea Dolphin and you to reclaim your power so that Darkstar can't use it. Besides, even if he, from what I've heard, cannot absorb it at present, he does want it and if we take it away, he'll waste energy trying to keep it and that will help Zelas and Vorfeed."

"I think I get it..." Dynast slowly nodded. "But to ally with Luna Inverse, even in such extreme circumstances..." he frowned.

Dolphin momentarily opened her eyes to give Dynast a cunning look. "If you don't want your power, can I have it?"

"No!" Dynast exclaimed. "I was just saying that I don't like the idea of working with Lina Inverse' sister."

"Lina's sister more so than the Knight of Ceifeed?" Luna curiously questioned. "I see you're still a bit bitter towards her..."

"Dealing with the Knight of Ceifeed is bad enough, but Lina is on a league of her own," Dynast huffed. "Besides, I find it suspicious that you'd let us keep our power, even with the present circumstances."

"The transmission diminishes it because the cost of transporting that power gets taken out of it." Luna revealed. "But it's better than letting it be lost and possibly taken by Darkstar, isn't it?"

"This is..." Dynast was without words.

"Oh, calm down," Dolphin disregarded. "Zelas will protect us, she's a lot stronger, you know. She's like the new top monster lord of this world, like Shabranigdu's replacement, and what does the light have? A holy knight that spends more time waiting tables than actually fighting and a stubborn dragon elder that Zelas might just have for dinner one of these days, that is literally have him for dinner."

"And what does the over-world have?" Luna added, "A dark lord that's about to be defeated. Canal, the new Vorfeed as it were, is still powerful though. The dragons and myself oppose the monster race, while Zelas and Canal are opposites to each other. Yet even if the one to balance Zelas' power is in the over-world, we have a pretty good diplomat to deal with her here."

"You mean you'll take the position?" Sylphiel curiously inquired.

"Of course not, I have the cafe to tend to. Putting up with Zelas' antics is Milgazia's job. He's perfect for it, since Zelas seems to be rather fond of him, or at least fond of the taste of his hard to trigger temper. I guess she enjoys the challenge," Luna grinned mischievously. "If we look at the two worlds together, there is a balance of darkness and light."

"Let's hope that counts for the Lord of Nightmares," Pokota voiced.

"I think it just might," Luna agreed. "After all, breaking boundaries is what motion is about."

"Mr. Dynast, you should start your meditation now, just like Miss Dolphin," Sylphiel urged. 

Grumbling in discomfort, Dynast did as he was told. "Just one more question," he added. "What's with all those cannons and stuff all over the desert?"

"They're Jillas Cannons!" Naga cheered. "Daddy and Gravy carried them here, then we teamed up to defend our world from Darkstar's attack, that we knew must eventually reach us, with magic and technology of our own. Jillas directed the cannon attack and everyone helped, Val and Palou too. Elena and I not only helped with the defenses, but we also made cookies! Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha! Oh, but the cookies ran out just before you got here... Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!"

"Sometimes I think it really is impossible to return the world to chaos, because it already is chaos..." Dynast muttered under his breath. 

"Now you're catching on! It's about time; we figured that out over a year ago." Naga cheered. "Ah! Ha ha ho ha ha!" Who ever said monsters were the most chaotic creatures around?

xoxox xox xoxox

Meanwhile, the battle continued in the over-world. "You won't get away with this, I still have more power than you can imagine!" Darkstar threatened. "Psy-energy fusion!" Beams of swirls of black and gold assaulted the Swordbreaker and Great Beast harshly.

"He's using Vorfeed!" Canal gasped.

"We can use fusion of our own!" Zelas reminded. "Xellos, load the attack pattern data, push the shields beyond the limits, we can't afford to get too damaged by this, but we're drilling in."

"Yes! I've been looking forward to this!" Xellos cheered. "Loading attack pattern data, sending attack pattern data, gathering defensive energy..."

"Attack pattern data received," Canal confirmed. "This is..." She displayed the plans of motion on the screen for her crew to see.

"It's completely crazy!" Millie suddenly exclaimed.

Lina laughed, "no, it's completely our style."

"Rash, seemingly senseless, utterly careless, a big gamble," Kain observed with a serious faced that suddenly turned into one of glee. "I like your style, let's do it!"

"What?!" Canal exclaimed. "Ugh, fine, but you're getting my ship a new paint job after this and I want high quality paint!"

"Connecting!" Zelas and Canal guided the Swordbreaker and Great Beast to link with each other, held together by mechanical claws and strong cables, the two lost ships of light and darkness becoming as one.

"What foolish desperate plan are you trying to fulfill by tying yourselves together? Darkstar taunted. "Whatever it is, it won't work!" Once again he forced Vorfeed into giving up her energy. "Psy-energy fusion!"

"Right back at you" Lina challenged.

"Everyone better have their seatbelts on," Canal cautioned.

"Commencing attack!" Xellos cheered.

The two lost ships began to spin rapidly, surrounded by energy of light and darkness. The positive and negative feelings, rather than canceling each other out, were guided to a balance that set them in a loop. In the endless cycle, happiness brought tranquility and tranquility boredom, which brought sadness, then danger was received with adventurous joy, that would give way to difficult peril and desperation, which would in turn cultivate an unbreakable determination, that would bring forth a bittersweet victory, and so on, every emotion was stripped of its purity and turned into the catalyst of its opposing force. It was a complex technique that one AI alone couldn't manage. It was a type of psy-energy that could not be allowed to lean towards one side or the other, but only fuel the continuous battle. 

As it went on, the two ships spun faster and fast, pushing their shields, life support and stabilizers to the limit to preserve their greatest sources of energy, the crew within them. The tornado of fusion psy-energy proved superior to Darkstar's assault and the united lost ships collided with Dugradigdu, drilling a hole through its thick armor. At last they had penetrated the seemingly invincible fortress, but now the task lay ahead to defeat its master. While the Swordbreaker, Great Beast and their crew was yet recovering, Dugradigdu sent his internal defenses, which he never expected to need and thus were not too many, at the invaders. 

"I will not allow this; you will fall in this battle, Darkstar!" A familiar voice echoed through the communication channels.

"Vorfeed!" Canal called out in alarm.

"Darkstar's hold on me has been weakened by your attack," Vorfeed explained. "I will use the remainder of my power to weaken him as much as I can. The outer defenses will be disabled so that you can reach the core of Dugradigdu while your ships recover."

"Such a task would be too much!" Canal warned with great worry.

"If Alicia could make such a sacrifice... so can I!" Dugradigdu's whole outer area short-circuited by the work of Vorfeed in his systems, but it wouldn't be long before he extinguished her from his data.

"Vorfeed!" Canal cried out for her other self, the original from whence she came.

"Protect the dreams of all, do not let them succumb to the Nightmare..." Vorfeed's voice faded away. "You are the new Night Dragon now..."

"Vorfeed, no!" Canal loudly cried out in agony.

"Canal!" Kain hugged the hologram that represented his childhood friend. "Don't let the pain take over, be strong, it's the only way to beat Darkstar!"

Canal closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in her simulated form and in the depths of her systems, running a defragmenter and prioritizing program, the equivalent of gathering her thoughts and trying to regain her focus. "You're right, Vorfeed's sacrifice won't be in vain. I will live through this to accomplish the task she left for me. I will become the new Night Dragon of this world, the protector of the subconscious of its population." 

"That's right, you'll become the best," not to mention the only, "Night Dragon in the universe and we'll be right here to back you up every step of the way!" Millie cheered.

The crews of the Swordbreaker and Great Beast exited the vessels and found themselves inside Darkstar's vessel, Dugradigdu. "Dugradigdu was originally built as a weapon, so it has a life support system that Darkstar never bothered removing, though it was understandably inactive until recently. Thanks to Vorfeed, I managed to hack in and reactivate it," Canal explained. "Our ships drilled in fairly deep and they are kind of stuck for now. At least we're not being pulled into space right now. It should be fine to remove the ships once we're deeper in, if we can manage. Since the outer defenses have been disabled, our ships will also have the chance to repair themselves, but it's still a dangerous position we're in. I can't say how long it'll be until Darkstar recovers, attacks the ships and disables the life support system in here. We need to reach the core of Dugradigdu and destroy it before long."

"And the more damage we do along the way, the less resources Dugradigdu will have available to accomplish all that," Kain added.

"Encouraging us to do some damage, are you?" Zelas grinned.

"Coming right up!" Lina readied her psy-gun, shooting at anything and everything as she charged in. The fiery red haired leader was closely followed by Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Filia, Milgazia, Gorun Nova, Kain and Millie. To her surprise, Canal, Xellos and Zelas also joined them. "Is it really okay to leave the ships?"

"We're still connected to them," Canal assured. "We are technically with the ships all the time."

"Besides, even if we're holograms, that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do," Zelas added.

"With a little hacking we can join the fun and Darkstar's prone to it right now," Xellos faded into the metal wall like a ghost, leaving a stream of short circuits in the inner workings beneath the wall panels. 

xoxox xox xoxox

The first part of the journey deeper into Dugradigdu was relatively easy, but that would soon change as they reached the inner chambers of the vessel. "So you've finally made it?" Darkstar's voice echoed, as the lights went out.

The large metal chamber held a floating citadel with anti-gravitational technology on all sides and no bridge to reach it beyond the force field that surrounded it, forming the only dim light in the chamber. "The air is pretty thin here," Lina observed.

"That's because this area has no life support system active, Darkstar is in control of this chamber," Canal determined.

"If he's not trying to extend his control to reboot the outer areas, that can only mean that he intends to focus on this battle. The oxygen filtering in from the surrounding area will have to be enough for now," Zelas voiced.

"We've been in situations like this before, stay strong everyone!" Lina charged forward, only by a few steps before, a laser crossed her path and she had to hastily jump out of the way. It was only the first of many, which rain upon the group. They dodged what they could and shielded themselves with the psy-weapons from the close calls. 

The oxygen became thinner, until it was absent completely and the gravity and temperature fluctuated rapidly to the extreme. A shock of chilling temperatures was followed by the alarmingly rapid increase of heat. "Not only is there no life support in this area, but Darkstar controls it!" Canal exclaimed.

"Not even the cyborgs will be able to survive like this!" Xellos realized in alarm. 

"We'll have to hack in!" Zelas decided.

"Right!" Canal joined in, "everyone, stay strong and fight, the three of us will try to keep the conditions as stable as possible!" Canal, Zelas and Xellos' holograms disappeared as they focused on the hacking.

The rapid increase of the temperature was halted and the oxygen restored. Lina took a deep breath. "As stable as possible might not be all that stable after all," she gasped for breaths of thin air. The temperature still occasionally went up and down, from chilling to scorching, and the altered gravity had the crew feeling as if each of their feet had an extra fifty pounds attached. Sparks of electricity swerved in the air, making the very atmosphere sting painfully. Against all odds, Lina marched towards the edge of the chamber and looked towards the protected citadel. "Gourry..."

"Right!" Gourry held out the psy-sword, the one that held a bit of precious metal from their world, crafted in part from the remains of Lina's brass racket, which had been vital to their survival when they first arrived. Everyone surrounded Gourry, some putting their energy into his psy-weapon and other serving to shield them from the continuous lasers. The beam of psy-energy from the psy-sword hit the force field around the citadel, finally extinguishing it. 

"Applying life support..." Canal's voice echoed. "The hacking so close to Darkstar's core programming is difficult, even the attempt is painful."

"That means you'll have to keep that shield down at all times," Zelas cautioned.

"That's right, or you'll get suffocated and cooked, whichever happens faster." Xellos chirped with his characteristic cheer that many times was unfitting to the situation.

"I can do it," Gorun Nova offered. "I was a weapon similar to this one for a long time, so channeling my energy through it is easy. I'll keep that shield down, the rest of you go ahead."

Gourry frowned in disapproval at the plan. "We can't just leave you here by yourself. There's that shield to fight against and the lasers all around."

"Like I said, projecting my psy-energy is very easy for me. I can aim to disable Darkstar's shield and create a shield to protect myself at the same time," Gorun Nova insisted. "Besides, you're going to need all the attack power you can get in there!"

"Gorun Nova..." Gourry paused unsure.

"Trust me, now go!" Gorun Nova insisted.

"Take care of yourself," Gourry finally agreed.

"You too, child of Flagoon..." Gorun Nova whispered as Gourry, Lina, Amelia, Zelgadis, Kain and Millie made their way to the citadel with some help from the jetpacks of Filia and Milgazia.

To be Continued


	27. Chapter 27

Slayers: Freedom - Part 2

Slayers: Chaos - Episode 078: Forever! Until Next Time

At the entrance to the citadel, among a continuous rain of deadly lasers that made the group drain their energy investing it on psy-shields, there was a large metal door. A slightly off color panel at its side indicated that the numerical pad beside the door had been removed. "Can this be hacked?" Kain inquired.

"Maybe if you'd all stopped being so fragile for long enough," Zelas snapped.

"What she means is that we're having an all out digital, or in your world's terminology, astral, battle against Darkstar right now just to keep the life support system going and we can't spare any power," Canal elaborated.

"How long can all of you hold your breath?" Xellos chirped, his usual cheery voice sounding a bit strain as unintentional proof of his efforts.

"Not long enough," Zelgadis decided not to risk it. 

Staying alive in such a suppressing atmosphere was bad enough as it was. It also explained why Darkstar was so quiet lately if he was busy with Canal, Zelas and Xellos, but they would only be able to hold him back for so long. The core had to be reached; it was the only way to defeat Darkstar. "Filia, Milgazia, you're both part machine, with the technological components being integrated pretty deeply. Maybe you can open this," Lina suggested.

"It's worth a try." Milgazia began removing the wall panel on one side of the door, while Filia started working on the other.

Impatient, Filia pulled out her mace, which she was thankful she had remembered to bring and banged on the wall panel until it fell off. She stepped to the other side of the door, "allow me," and repeated the process with the other wall panel.

Milgazia was silent for a moment before commenting that, "the important circuitry is probably a little deeper in..."

"Got it!" Filia took it as a cue to smash some more circuit boards out of the way.

Once that was done, the two cyborgs reached into the circuitry on either side of the door, extending cables into it, looking to make contact with something that would allow them control. "Just rip them out; there are no compatible plugs here." Milgazia concluded as he reached for Dugradigdu's cables beyond the removed panel and cut them, wrapping the thinner metal wires inside the cables around the end of his own plug.

"I guess there's no choice, not that I mind breaking cables if they belong to Darkstar." Filia followed the example and broke apart the cables from the citadel, tugging the thin metal strands into the outlet of her own cable. She felt a jolt of electricity as she began the connection process and began feeling as if the door was as one of her limbs which was trying to lift itself against a heavy weight. She realized that Milgazia must also be able to sense it, the weight was Darkstar's resistance and the movement to lift it away was Milgazia trying to open the door. Filia joined in, straining her systems as if she really was lifting something heavy, which was a somewhat odd feeling given that she was standing still, yet she felt as if she was doing a great deal of exercise. She could only imagine how much harder it would be for Xellos, who was more directly struggling against Darkstar.

The door finally opened and Zelas' voice was heard again. "Filia, Milgazia, I sense you've connected to Dugradigdu, it's relatively superficial, but you stupid dragons might be able to make yourselves useful after all. Reach deeper into the room in front of you and focus on pushing away Darkstar's influence."

"Just pretend your doing an exorcism," Xellos chimed in.

"Don't let your dullness hold you back, Milgazia," Zelas teased.

"That's enough with that, I'm not going to blow up now of all times." He paused, sensing that Filia was, understandably, angry at the situation as a whole and of course, especially at Darkstar. "Filia, focus on something positive, it will make pushing Darkstar back easier."

"Positive... positive..." Filia chanted, trying to concentrate.

"Just think about how cool I am," Xellos suggested.

"Oh, shut up, raw garbage." Though she said that, Filia did feel a lightness and warmth in her heart when she thought of Xellos. She also thought of all her friends back home who were waiting for her and of her precious child, Val.

"I'm not concerned about Milgazia the dull, he never gets really angry," Zelas commented. "I think I shall never forgive you for so easily forgiving me for the whole jet pack incident."

"Holding a grudge would only empower you, I'm not going to feed you as a reward for doing something bad," Milgazia reasoned.

"So if I do something," Zelas made a sound expressing exaggerated disgust, "good, then you'll get angry at me?"

"I'll try," Milgazia offered.

"Alright then, I think saving the worlds from Darkstar, even if I'm only doing it for my own reasons, can still be classified as something good, so you better keep your word and give me some of your ultra rare anger after this," Zelas warned.

The two golden dragons turned cyborgs continued to focus on their task while their remaining companions moved to the very center of Dugradigdu. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis, Kain and Millie bravely charged in. The inner room had armored screens all over the walls that coated the chamber in light, contrasting with the darkness of the area surrounding the citadel, which was only lit up by the deadly lasers. At the center of the tall room there was a long metal pillar attached to the floor and ceiling, with an empty area in the middle. A jewel-like device floated between the two halves of the pillar, reflecting the circuitry inside it. It was layer upon layer of a circuit board of platinum-like cords trapped in a substance similar to diamond, the most advanced data containing device ever created. 

Even if the device was removed from its place, unless it was taken very far away, it would still be connected to Dugradigdu. Plus even if it was moved far enough, destroying it was a nearly impossible task; presently, even removing it was. That was the core of Darkstar's true form at present, held by purple and black electricity in its glass encasement between the two halves of the pillars. "I never thought you'd make it this far," Darkstar's human form that he once had appeared in the screens all around them. "The three programs, the former lost ship and the two cyborgs are working hard just so that the six of you can have a livable atmosphere here, not that you look too comfortable. The one who arose from Shabranigdu bows down in the name of Chaos!"

Those who were informed of the meaning behind the phrase instinctively paused, waiting for something, but there was no effect except for an increase in the oxygen output. Lina greedily took in big breaths of air, as if the precious oxygen was a plate of delicious food about to be stolen away from her. The others had similar, albeit less gluttonous looking, reactions. Zelas only laughed, "true chaos is not light and not darkness, but a creature that has a little bit of both, in different proportions, yes, but still both. Those who wish to pretend they are pure denounce chaos and are forced to submit to chaos by the speech of the truth they do not understand. Canal can wield wrath, I can wield courage, unpleasant as it may be, I can do it." Which meant that she wasn't pure evil, just as Canal wasn't pure good, perhaps she never was and only needed to admit it, because in chaos, there was no pure anything. 

Though Zelas couldn't help it but to be a little jealous, in absolute secrecy of course, that Canal had more skill in painlessly handling wrath and powering her weapons with her opposing element, granted that it wasn't enough to overload her systems, and the only one strong enough to do that was Darkstar. Then again, Canal had more experience; she could have beaten Bodigar, Nezard, Galveira, Ragudo Mezegis and Gorun Nova on her own, as she had won against them in the past, but she purposely avoided combat, because it was Zelas who needed that experience. Painful as it was, having been beaten to an inch of a permanent shut down, that is a true ruined death, on more than one occasion, she did gain the experience she needed. "Besides," Zelas added in a mocking tone. "It doesn't sound like the remnant of the Stillness inside you liked it when you called upon chaos, didn't you want total silence?"

Darkstar made an angry unintelligible sound. "It doesn't matter, now that you've dared to come this close, I'll show you the power I obtained from the enemy of the Lord of Nightmares, this is the power of the Stillness!" A silvery light overtook the atmosphere as all the stages of the Stillness' cycle were projected from the remnant within Darkstar. First there was the great pain of the Lamentation which would serve to fuel Darkstar.

"Don't give up!" Amelia called loudly, so that not only her companions nearest to her could hear her, but also those who were helping to keep them alive from just outside the core of the citadel. "Everyone, don't give into the sadness. Suffering is temporary and, if anything, it teaches us to overcome. But don't block out all emotions either, because that's what Darkstar wants, that's what the Stillness wants!" That was the second stage, the Void, a lack of emotion, a mental death. Then there would come the end, the reaper of all to erase all traces of anything that might be left, or a representation of it.

"We've been through far too many adventures to give up now," Lina heroically declared, in what had come to be known as her leader mode. 

"Right, we can overcome this!" Kain agreed. Together, the group attacked the glass encasing containing Darkstar's core. The glass only cracked despite their efforts, but at least they were getting somewhere. 

"Stubborn fools!" Darkstar growled in anger and frustration, trying hard to fight against the hacking that prevented him from doing much. 

"Everyone focus your energy on the same point!" Lina commanded. Pained voices from just outside the citadel were a testament to their companion's harsh battle.

"Lina, we'll entrust our energy to you!" He didn't know how he was doing it, but Gourry, who had never had any real ability in magic, was actually transferring his energy to Lina by simply wishing for her to have it. Amelia and Zelgadis joined in, followed by Kain and Millie, who decided to trust the infamous Lina Inverse of the other world. An honest admiration for her good taste in capes was what ultimately made Kain give up his usual position of leader without argument to Lina. With a massive blast of psy-energy, the glass container of Darkstar's present core was broken. The group didn't stop their efforts for a second, constantly attacking the very hard to destroy core, drilling through it with their combined might. Yet just when they thought they could win, their energy appeared to be neutralized.

"The Stillness empowers me; there is no hope for you!" Darkstar threatened.

"Darkstar... You can never truly wield the power of the Stillness, because you are chaos too. You existed in a human body before," Canal reminded, her voice echoing through his systems. "You know what human emotion is like from experience and yet you still fed on hatred because..." There was a dramatic pause and everyone couldn't help it but to listen attentively. "Because you're a psycho!" The phrasing was met with reactions of surprise at her bluntness. "But even a psycho seeks to change and evolve; even an insane man like you must feel some form of joy even if it's cruel and sadistic. I know what you enjoy, I saw it in that creepy twisted smile when you were human, you long for the thrill of the battle and you fear defeat because it would be the end of that. But if you won, it would be the end of the fight too, that's why you became frustrated thinking there was no end goal to this fight of darkness and light. Well you're right; there is no end goal because the goal is for it not to end. This is all for the living creatures to manifest their power and grow, magic, psy-energy, technology, evolution, that's what this is for, they are at the center stage, the humans and those similar to them... I, Night Dragon Canal Vorfeed, the lord of light, will not allow the chaos to end."

"And I Beast Master Zelas Metallium, the lord of darkness, will not allow the chaos to end."

"With great trials and great mercy to make them worth it, the cycle of evolution, of motion and of chaos must continue!" Canal insisted.

"Lord Beast Master, Lord Night Dragon, the rip has reached a sufficient size and the repairs are ready!" Xellos announced.

"Then let's go," Zelas confirmed. 

Dugradigdu shook violently with an unexpected motion and the atmosphere became more tense and filled with energy, yet somehow it was easier to breathe. "What's happening?" Millie urgently inquired.

"The rip between the worlds was made large enough because of the passing of energy from our world to this one," Zelas revealed.

"So now we're pushing him in!" Xellos cheered. By the combined force of the Great Beast and Swordbreaker, Darkstar began to be pushed through the portal towards the Slayers' world.

"Wait a minute; we're going to our world?" Zelgadis suddenly realized. He rapidly took off his cyborg armor, which he had put on for its usefulness in the battle, having found it in his room in the Great Beast, though he wasn't even sure how it survived all the trials the vessel had gone through. He tossed the armor all around in his haste to get rid of it before it became a part of him again in a different form. "Phew... That was close, I almost ended up as a chimera again." Thankfully, he managed to remain fully human, though he did feel a tad ridiculous dressed in only the skin tight body suit he wore under his armor.

"What is a solid digital code in my world, is astral energy in yours, ever flowing, ever changing, ever dependant in the belief of its own existence," Canal voiced. "Are you ready for this, Darkstar? The Stillness will be a hindrance if you call upon it in that world, it will consume your astral body and you will be purely astral. Through this rip, we're taking all of you to that world, not a trace to be left behind for you to cling to this one."

"And there, in the most chaotic of the worlds, you'll meet your end," Zelas finished.

"I'll destroy you!" Darkstar growled in madness. "I'll destroy you all and your whole world, and all the worlds! Nothing will remain; nothing of the trap of the Lord of Nightmares, nothing of the endless cycle, nothing of anything!"

"It's not a trap, it's a pretty good plan, after all, what's life without a little conflict to keep it interesting?" Kain argued. "Even I who dreaded it, I think I can finally understand a little of what is beyond our understanding."

"Darkstar will likely take on a dragon-like form when he reaches the other world, which means you probably don't want to be in here." Canal warned a split second too late. She appeared again in her holographic projection, as Darkstar's systems were changing from technological to astral and the hacking was no longer needed. Her smiling face reminded the group of Xellos.

"Why didn't you say that before?!" Lina shouted as Milgazia, Filia and Gorun Nova joined the others, wondering what in the world was going on.

"We intended for you to remain here inside Darkstar as he is transported to our world," Zelas grinned.

A chorus of alarmed, "what?" Echoed through the area. Lightning rained from the center of the room where the two halves of the pillar met as Dugradigdu fought desperately to retain his lost ship form. 

A massive bolt formed, all the smaller bolts converged and headed straight for Lina, as she lost her footing due to the violent shaking. "Lina!" Without a second thought and not a fraction of a second to spare, Gourry shielded her from the hit, taking it fully himself.

"Gourry!" Lina yelled with more agony seeing Gourry fall wounded, than if she would have been hit herself.

"Everything here is too unstable, everyone; let's make a shield of energy!" Zelgadis called out. Amelia, Kain, Millie and himself surrounded the distraught Lina and the wounded Gourry.

"Zelgadis, Amelia, there's healing magic in your world isn't it? Leave the shield to us, save your energy from when we get there!" Kain called out. "Millie, let's do this!" Channeling his and Millie's energy through his psy-sword, Kain created a shield to encompass all the others.

At last they arrived at the Slayers world and the dark miasma around them was unbearable. Despite that, Amelia and Zelgadis were quick to take action, putting every bit of energy they had into healing their friends. 

"Lina Inverse... Zelas has told me that if you were to unleash your true power, you can defeat the Stillness within Darkstar. The only way to reach and unarm his core was in our world, a world of space ships that would allow us to be able to journey inside Darkstar. The only way to defeat his core is with the strength of spirit that can be more easily expressed in your world. By making Darkstar fully astral, he cannot use his vessel as a means to hide his mind, as Dugradigdu has become part of his astral form, just as Swordbreaker has become part of mine. Lina Inverse, warrior of chaos, break beyond the limits and conquer this challenge!" Canal requested, encouraged and almost begged. "Good luck..." 

Most of the group landed on the sandy grounds of the Elmekia desert where their friends where waiting. They had been teleported there by Xellos, Zelas and Canal, who had taken on her human shape, albeit she was an astral being in that world, similar to Ceifeed. Seeing the dark dragon in the skies and their champions returning, albeit apparently the fight wasn't over yet, everyone surrounded the new arrivals.

Gourry, who was healed, stood up in alarm, "Lina? Where's Lina?"

"She's up there..." Gorun Nova weakly replied, there was something off about him, it didn't seem right.

"Gorun Nova, you're hurt!" Gourry knew of no other way to express it, but he saw death in the other man's eyes.

Gorun Nova smiled without a hint of sorrow, "Amelia and Zelgadis healed my body of all wounds, but my mental energy had already been drained and could not be restored by giving me more physical energy. I knew I wouldn't make it, I was just holding on." He stumbled, unable to stay on his feet and Gourry helped him to stand. "I only wanted to hold on long enough to die in this world and eventually be reborn here so that one day I can be with Flagoon..." His eyes closed and his body went limp.

"Gorun Nova! Gorun Nova!" Gourry called to his in desperation, tears streaming down his eyes until he realized it was useless. Surprisingly, Gorun Nova's body was surrounded by a strange golden glow and he vanished. "Lord of Nightmares... Was that you? Are you making it so that he can be reborn sooner?" Gourry looked to the distant skies, clouded by the wounded dark dragon that was Darkstar. "Until we meet again, my comrade and friend..." He bid Gorun Nova farewell, then glared at Darkstar. "She's up there," Gourry repeated the words. "Lina is up there..." He looked at the lords of light and Darkness, whose eyes seemed, fixed on the dark dragon above, neither Zelas nor Canal speaking a single word.

Luna offered Gourry a smile. "She'll be fine, my little sister's tough."

xoxox xox xoxox

Within the darkness, Lina's ruby eyes glared defiantly. "Leaving me behind to finish cleaning the mess... They'll have a lot to make up for."

"How foolish to rely on a mere human..." Darkstar's voice taunted from a small orb of dark light that was what become of the circuit jewel.

Lina felt her heart pounding erratically as the atmosphere in the strange astral space within Darkstar did not favor humans, or living creatures in general. Her lungs burned and her skin stung just by being there. She could almost feel her hair starting to turn white from the sheer strain of the atmosphere within Darkstar's astral form. "They know that those who are neither darkness or light are the only ones capable of defeating the Stillness. They know that I, with my chaotic balance, stand the best chance at this while I have no distractions. This is my world, Darkstar, and you're about to witness my power! Lord of dreams that terrify, sword of cold and darkness, free yourself from the heaven's bonds." The brave sorceress poured all her might into that one spell, giving it every drop of energy she had. "Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together! Ragna Blade!" The blade of chaos cut through the orb of dark light, causing it to flicker and before the sword disappeared, Lina gathered all her might and threw the chaotic blade like a lance, opening an escape route for herself.

"Running away? That hardly hurt!" Darkstar taunted, though he knew he was badly wounded and he felt inexplicably as if he was being turn apart.

"That wasn't meant to destroy you directly," Lina grinned as she ran towards the opening. "I finished what I started, don't you sense it? The Stillness is gone for good this time and not even a tiny remnant was left behind! Which mean, that you're no longer protected by it and the wound we gave your core before should be enough of an astral wound to nearly ruin you!" She jumped out of Darkstar's astral form, too tired to cast Levitation or Raywing, as she had put every drop of energy she had into surviving thus far and casting that powerful Ragna Blade.

xoxox xox xoxox

"Lina!" Gourry called out as he watched her fall, while the dark dragon above looked very unstable.

"Go catch her, Gourry... Raywing!" Zelgadis projected the spell towards Gourry. 

Gourry floated up surrounded by wind, intercepting Lina's fall. He caught her in his arms and the bubble of wind lost altitude until it disappeared at a safe distance from the ground.

"Captain Lina, all is ready and at your command." Xellos called from his position, casting a massive fusion spell alongside several dragons and monsters, including Phythan and other dragons, Fang, Galathia, Zenki, Neuro, and even the lords of light and darkness, Canal and Zelas.

"Hmp! Trying to make up for ditching me back there by letting me give the final order?" Lina grumbled tiredly. 'At least this time around, I didn't fall naked out of the sky.' As such was a consequence of being disintegrated and having her body recreated by chaotic energy. "Fine then, let's not waste any more time, I want my victory banquet, fire!"

The massive blast of fusion magic was shot, just as Darkstar gained his bearings enough to realize what was coming, though he could not defend himself. In his terribly wounded state, the magic heading towards him was too much and he was reduced to black dust that blew around and faded. Cheers overtook the atmosphere for the battle had finally been won. A small black orb floated down unnoticed by most. Canal floated up and grasped it gently in her hand, grinning deviously. She hit the small dark orb in her palm, wrapping her fingers secretively around it. She addressed the crowd with sincere gratitude. "To all the people of this world, thank you very much for all that you've done. Even if our two worlds will heal and become separate again, if you ever need my help, call on me and somehow, I'll know and be here!" The dragons were especially happy with that, as they had someone similar to Ceifeed to look to.

"Well, the rips are going to close up, so we better get going," Millie observed with a frown. "And so soon too, I wanted to try out the ingredients of this world."

"We wanted to try your cooking!" Lina and Gourry complained in perfect unison.

"I wanted to go cape shopping!" Kain protested.

"Oh, that's enough you two. You know we belong in the over-world and we can't go ripping holes between the worlds all the time. Let's go, the worlds might need some rest from each other, even if somehow, I believe that in a way, they will always be united. Vorfeed took on her dragon form, covered in magnificent shining white scales, with elegant wings. She allowed Kain and Millie to climb on her back and took off towards the closing portal in the sky.

After Canal, Kain and Millie were gone; Lina took a big breath and reiterated, "I want food!" Talks of a great banquet began, which Lina demanded should take place on that very night.

"I'm here! Ah! He he ha he he!" Martina made her late entrance, followed by Zangulus, who held baby Zoamelgustar.

"You're a bit late, the fight's over," Lina groaned.

"I like to call it fashionably late," Martina argued, revealing that her tardiness was intentional. "Besides, I'm not here to fight; I'm here to congratulate the world's champion on behalf of the kingdom of Zoana."

"Oh, really?" Lina puffed up with pride that someone like Martina would actually show up to personally congratulate her. "Well go right ahead then, I'm listening!"

"Congratulations, Lord Beast Master!" Martina declared at the top of her lungs, adding a victorious laugh at the end for good measure. "Ah! He he ha he he!"

"Beast Master?!" Lina screeched in indignation.

"Don't complain, I did a lot of the work carrying all of you around," Zelas reminded. Lina sighed and surprisingly relented, as there was a good amount of truth to that claim after all.

"Well, now that the danger has passed and another chapter in our lives has come to a close, let's all go back to Seyruun and share the exciting tales of adventures and justice!" Philionel cheerfully invited. "Who knows, maybe by the time the next adventure rolls around I'll be a grandfather! Oh, but we must celebrate the royal wedding first, we might as well make it soon, right?" The Seyruun king, who would forever have the heart of a young prince, gave Zelgadis a pat on the back that, catching the ex-chimera, now human unprepared, almost sent him face first into the sand. 

In Zelgadis' mind though, that wouldn't have been so bad, since he could at least hide the crimson shade of his face that way, as he only managed to nod and stutter a quiet, "yes, very soon..."

"There's too much cheer here," Zelas huffed.

"True chaos is not light and not darkness, but a creature that has a little bit of both," Milgazia quoted. "Which means that you're not pure evil, courage leads to other things, fellowship and-"

"Shut up," Zelas growled.

"Anyway," Milgazia continued, positive feelings won't harm you as much as you like to pretend they do, not if you set your mind to it. You should have already overcome such limitations through your experiences."

"Are you suicidal, dragon? Shut up and keep your word, I was promised anger," Zelas reminded.

Milgazia sighed, closing his eyes, "alright..." He focused and allowed his frustration to take hold, projecting the dark emotions he felt in various points of their adventure. 

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Zelas unexpectedly urged.

The negative feelings dissolved as Milgazia explained. "All it takes is discipline and control. That's how you annoy me all the time, but I almost never allow you to feed on it, and never to a full extent..." He paused realizing that many pairs of eyes, monster eyes to be specific, were on him. "Why are they looking at me?" He whispered to Zelas as discretely as he could manage with so many eyes on him.

"Because you're delicious," Zelas replied as a matter of fact, as if she was talking about a cake or similar treat, rather than a living creature.

"Oh..." Milgazia didn't really like this.

"You'll have to show me your angry side again later, but when there's no one else around to steal my food." Zelas ordered rather than requested.

Xellos pouted and glared at Milgazia, who noticed and gave him a questioning look. "You better be a perfect gentleman to Lord Beast Master," the purple haired monster warned. Not that it was needed, as Milgazia, ever the diplomat, always was. 

The comment earned Xellos a confused gaze from the golden dragon elder and a warning look from Zelas. "Xellos..."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master?" Xellos chirped with his characteristic cheer that this time really did fit the occasion.

"Shut up and go play with your dragons," Zelas replied.

"Yes, Lord Beast Master!" Xellos pulled Filia and Val towards him in a group hug that was kind of sweet, until he slipped his hand under Filia's skirt and pulled her tail. That had her chasing after him with her mace pretty soon, with Val laughing in amusement at his parents' usual strange game of tag.

Thus the latest adventure came to a close and a big meal awaited in the near future, along with many happy occasions to look forward to. Yet a world without danger would be too boring for an adventurer, so to be sure, other adventures would be certain to come.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, at the over-world, the Swordbreaker cruised peacefully across the galaxies... "Are you sure it was wise to keep him?" Kain asked, staring at the creature that Canal's holographic projection held in her hand.

"Don't worry, he's harmless like this!" Canal held up her favorite new toy. It was a little android about five inches tall, fashioned after the style of a chibi in an appearance similar to Darkstar's past human form.

"Canal!" The little doll screeched angrily. "You're going to pay for keeping me like this!" Darkstar, in his new fragile, yet adorable, form, struggled helplessly against Canal's grip.

"Aw, he's so cute!" Millie squealed, "can I play with him?"

"Sure..." Canal made a suspenseful pause that made chills run down Kain and Millie's spines. "After you two finish the Swordbreaker's new paint job!" She ordered firmly. "I want quality paint, so go get some jobs or I'll start charging for the oxygen around here!" Kain and Millie stiffened and hurried away to browse the online trouble contractor listings for jobs they could take on. Canal smiled in satisfaction, seeing her crew so earnest to earn money.

"But I'm supposed to be the evil one," the little Darkstar whined pathetically. 

"Nothing is pure evil, my cute little friend," Canal hugged him like a little girl who just got a cute new doll. "And," she grinned mischievously, "nothing is pure good!" With a fit of foreboding giggles, Canal skipped away towards her personal room at the Swordbreaker. "Where did I put those ribbons?"

End of Slayers: Chaos

xoxox xox xoxox

Slayers: Freedom

Part 1 - Slayers: Alive   
Part 2 - Slayers: Chaos

I used the Kanzaka Dex and Slayers Universe for information references on characters, places, magic and other details. 

I don't own the anime, video games, movies or tv series mentioned on this site. I'm only doing this for fun and no profits are being made. 

The Slayers and Lost Universe original novels were written by Hajime Kanzaka. 

There are a whole bunch of the challenge themes from Beloved Enemy scattered throughout both parts of the story. 

Some of the original characters that appear in this story are Phythan, Onyx, Celo, Tiffany, Fang, Kalio, Kally, Medusa, Galathia, Erosnum, Jewel, Kirei, Topaz, Saramina and other minor characters. There are pictures of some of them in the fanart page. 

Part 1 - Slayers: Alive

The title of Slayers: Alive is a reference to the Alive Beam from Phantasy Star Portable 2 as the theme of the story centers around the will to live on. 

The monster parrot that first appears on Episode 002 is partially based on Neuro's true form from Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro. 

Episode 006 was inspired by the movie Inception. 

The dream eater or lesser imp from Episode 007 was based on the evil Gremlings, the version they turn into if fed after midnight. The sad kitten look from the same episode was inspired by Puss from Shrek 2. 

The giant worm that pretends to be a cave and the transparent goop monster in Episode 008 are based on the Exogorth from Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back and the Revival Jam from Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Battle City episodes respectively. 

The design of the fairy from Episode 011 is based on Navi from Legend of Zelda. The story about the mermaid is a combination of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella. 

In Episode 012, Lina's dresses were based on dresses worn by Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Jessica was also the model in the poster. Lina's final dress was inspired by Serena's princess dress from Sailor Moon. 

In Episode 013, Amelia's dresses were based on Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Amelia's chosen dress was partially based on Tiana's costume party dress from The Princess and the Frog and Queen Serenity's dress from Sailor Moon, with the brooch partially based on Peach from Mario. Filia's first two dresses are based on Peach and Daisy from Mario. Deedlit and Parn are from Record of Lodoss War. 

The Kompeito mentioned in Episode 018 is a type of sugar candy from Japan. 

Giovanni from Pokémon and three of my Pokémon fanfic characters Comet, Pixel and Laiki, appear in Episode 024. The novel Zelgadis read was a reference to Don't Give Me Diamonds. 

The manga collection Lina mentioned in Episode 026 was Dragon Ball Z. The plushie prizes were based on Hello Kitty, Fantastic Four (the Thing) and Superman. 

The costumes the main characters wear on Episode 027 were based on Rika from Phantasy Star IV (Lina), Link from Legend of Zelda (Zelgadis), Wonder Woman from the DC comics (Amelia), Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII (Gourry), James from Pokémon (Phythan), Sailor Venus from Sailor Moon (Filia) and the Dark Magician from Yu-Gi-Oh! (Xellos). 

Phythan was reading the Death Note manga in Episode 029. 

The Haste and Hastaga spells first mentioned on Episode 030 are from Final Fantasy. 

The mutant called Quicksilver Naga mentions in Episode 035 is a reference to Pietro Maximoff from X-Men: Evolution. The swordsman with the horse named Epona, mentioned by Gourry is Link from Legend of Zelda. 

The names of Aya and Kyle on Episode 040 are a reference to Parasite Eve and the names of Alys and Chaz are a reference to Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium; they are not the same characters, they only share their names. Sasha, Anna and Manna from Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town are cameos by the characters from the game. 

The animals Filia and Xellos imagine in Episode 044 are Babs, Fifi and Dizzy from Tiny Toons and Pikachu from Pokémon. 

On Episode 046 pulpo is Spanish for octopus. 

The title of Episode 052, Show Me How To Care, comes from the song Sweet Kiwi by Marooned 5. 

I couldn't find any official names for Lina's parents first mentioned on Episode 053. I named her father after Light Inverse from Slayers Light Magic. Labyrinthine's name represents the mystery of Lina's parents and I thought it would be funny if they all had simple L names, except for one with a complicated L name that's too long for Gourry. The swords are: Elsydeon (Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium), Espelancer (Legend of Heroes: Tear of Vermilion), Masamune (Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, others), Muramasa (Samurai Deeper Kyo, others), Tessaiga (Inuyasha). 

Jarde, who first appears in Episode 056 of Alive, is from Valkyria Chronicles II. The episode title Get Along! Try Again is based on the Slayers opening theme. 

Credits to Rinoaebastel for the Xellos ice-cream cone joke on Episode 057. 

The three figthers wearing red, blue and green on Episode 058 are based on the style of Street Figther characters. 

Xellos' nickname of Ice-cream first used on Episode 060 is a reference to Hey Arnold! since it's Helga's codeword for Arnold. It also fits with the ice-cream cone dream on Episode 057. 

Xellos' collar reacting to the word sit on Episode 062 is a reference to Inuyasha. 

The piranha plants in Episode 064 are based on the ones from Mario. Lina and Amelia made Sailor Moon poses. 

In Episode 066 there's a small reference to Pokémon in Zelas' line, from the episode where James' parents say that that Jessebelle is "too good for our delinquent son." 

The Scream mentioned in Episode 067 refers to the famous painting by Edvard Munch. Zelas' alias of Yuna is after the character from Final Fantasy X since she is a summoner and Zelas is Beast Master. 

The golden pyramid in Episode 069 looks like the Millennium Puzzle from Yu-Gi-Oh! 

Filia's explanation of "she's a she, he's a he" on Episode 070 is a reference to when Yusei meets Leo and Luna in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds. 

The old lady from the shop on Episode 071 was Cologne from Ranma 1/2. 

The title of Episode 073, Size Matters, is a reference to Ratchet and Clank. The Temple of Chronos is from Slayers: Light Magic. 

In Episode 075, Justice For All is a reference to the Phoenix Wright game series. The sign in the garden signed by Aeris is a reference to Final Fantasy VII. 

The purple haired girl with glasses on Episode 077 was Lucca from Chrono Trigger, who was traveling with Magus. 

The spaghetti kiss on Episode 079 is a reference to Lady and the Tramp. 

The title of Episode 084, Prepare For Trouble, is a reference to Team Rocket from Pokémon. 

The octopice quotes on Episode 086 have references to: "bare my children" (Miroku from Inuyasha), "I will never be a memory" (Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children), "ogres are like onions" (Shrek), "may the force be with you" (Star Wars) and "they've got more fur than any turtle ever had" (opening song from Samurai Pizza Cats). The mirror of truth is based on the one from (the original) Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals. 

Howl, Sophie, Markl and Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle are referenced in Episode 088. The spell Xellos casts is in Latin. 

The name Yuuyami, first mentioned on Episode 089, means dusk in Japanese. 

First appearing on Episode 100, Neuro and Yako are from Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro. Zenki, Chiaki and Lupapa are from Zenki. 

On Episode 103 the wedding crashers were Shrek and Donkey. The 'left turn at Albuquerque' is a reference to Bugs Bunny. The cruise ship is named after the airship from Final Fantasy VII. 

On Episode 107, the man in green and his horse were Link and Epona from Legend of Zelda. Relm is from Final Fantasy IV. Momoka is from Zombie Loan. Laiki is one of my Pokémon fanfic characters from Don't Give Me Diamonds. 

Fili's siblings first mentioned on Episode 109 are named after the original four ghosts from Pac-Man, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde. 

The title of Episode 111 Hope Is Hard To Kill is from the Prince of Egypt movie song. I'm basing my dragon weight estimates on dinosaurs, specifically the T-Rex. 

On Episode 116, Prisoner Island is a reference to Samurai Pizza Cats, although, unlike the secret resort in that series, the Prisoner Island in the fanfic is actually a jail. Piquel is a reference to Bonkers, not the same character, they only share a surname. 

The red parrot in Episode 119 is Iago from Aladdin. 

The last part of the spell Xellos casts in Episode 121 is in Latin. 

Zelas calling Xellos brat boy on Episode 123 is a reference to Madame Boss from Pokémon. 

The dragon keychain Filia gives Xellos on Episode 133 is based on Ly-Xu's fanart. 

Filia's peculiar adventures from the end of Episodes 134 and Episode 135 are based on Alice in Wonderland. 

The green parrot from Episode 135 is Thundra from Aladdin. 

The title of Episode 136, All The World's A Stage, is a reference to Shakespeare. The "I am your father" quote is from Star Wars. 

On Episode 138, Cactuar is from Final Fantasy. The hypnotic cactus in an ice-cream stand situation is based on Outlaw Star episode 13. 

Ash, Misty and Pikachu from Pokémon make an appearance on Episode 140. 

On Episode 141, Miku Hatsune is from Vocaloids. Kooky and Kootie Pie are Ludwig and Wendy's names from the Super Mario animated series. 

The title of Episode 146, Break Free And Rise Up, is a reference to Zenki. Banora apples are from Final Fantasy VII. Won is from Harvest Moon. 

Part 2 - Slayers: Chaos

The later episodes of Slayers: Chaos include characters from the Lost Universe series, including Darkstar, who has appeared on both Slayers and Lost Universe, and others.

The cabbage vendor on Episode 006 is from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

On Episode 007 the phrase, "fight that fire when it burns" is from the Jeanne D'Arc video game.

Jarde, who was also in Slayers: Alive and first appears on Episode 013 of Slayers: Chaos, is from Valkyria Chronicles II.

On Episode 014, Team Rocket and Giovanni are from Pokemon.

On Episode 016, The dagger shaped garnets on the bracelet are a reference to Princess Garnet, who went by the alias of Dagger in Final Fantasy IX.

On Episode 019, Gourry's childhood friend who has a horse named Epona is Link from Legend of Zelda.

Episode 021 has a reference to Shrek in the lines: "What kind of knight are you?" "One of the kind." Just switch knight for dragon. 

Episode 027, the explanation about the Roketto links Slayers: Chaos with the brief appearances in Slayers: Alive of Pokemon characters and explains how they got there in relation to Don't Give Me Diamonds (Pokémon), which all fits into the same continuity. This episode also has a reference to Galathia's story, which is further explained in the one-shot Minions (Atomic Betty). 

On Episode 028, Iago is from Aladdin and Lina's cat plush is Hello Kitty. 

On Episode 037, the story of Lost Universe is based on the anime, information from the novels found at wikia and creative license to fill the blanks in ways that it fit with Try. The name of Zelas' ship is based on an alternate name of hers, Greater Beast, with a reference to Star Fox's Great Fox. 

On Episode 040, Milgazia dressing up as a 'light ninja' is a reference to the Samurai Jack episode "Samurai vs Ninja." 

On Episode 041, Milgazia offering to give 'something good' as a reward, which turns out to be the satisfaction of helping others, is a reference to Flonne from Disgaea. Zelgadis' armor is like a silver and light blue Ironman. 

On Episode 044, the Ruby Eyes System is another reference to the Slayers: Light Magic manga. Zelgadis' helmet looks like Guido's helmet from Samurai Pizza Cats. 

On Episode 046, the names of Biggs and Wedge are references to Final Fantasy. 

About Episode 047, very little is known about the swordsman of light, aside from the fact that the swordsman was actually a woman, she defeated the Zanaffar at Sairaag, then planting the Flagoon tree and that she traveled in the company of a male dragon. The identity of the dragon is unknown, but rumored among fans to be Milgazia, which I accepted as this story's fanon. Flagoon, as I dubbed the nameless warrior, is an ancestor of Rowdy, who is an ancestor of Gourry. 

Episode 049's title has a line from Romeo and Juliet "Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?" 

On Episode 050, the sorcerer with the golem is an ancestor of Amelia and Naga's mother. Jullios is an ancestor of Jillas.

On Episode 053, Andrew is from Sailor Moon and Star Fantasy is a reference to Star Wars and Final Fantasy.

Episode 054 is a crossover with DRRR!! That's where Shizuo, Izaya, Tom, Erika, Walker and Kyohei are from. Rule 63 states that for every character there is a version of that character of the opposite gender. Rule 34 says that if it exists, there is hentai of it. The DRRR!! crossover was inspired by our chats at the Beloved Enemy forums were someone pointed out that Filia and Xellos are similar to Shizuo and Izaya.

Episode 055, Tamaki is from Ouran Host Club. Raily and Nina are from Lost Universe, though in this story they joined the Galaxy Police from Tenchi Universe, after the Darkstar battle.

Episode 057 and others, the grappler ship functions are based on Outlaw Star. 

The mysterious cube in Episode 058 looks like the ones from Portal, but with a crescent moon instead of a heart.

On Episode 060, Kaiba Corp. the dueling cards, the king of games (Yugi), Duel Academy's top student (Jaden) and Jack Atlas are from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's respectively.

On Episode 061, Lina and Gourry's mission was based on a similar situation with Kain on episode 14 of Lost Universe. The blond girl and blue haired boy are Flonne and Laharl from Disgaea.

Episode 063: Winry, granny Rockbell and the mentioned Edward and Alphonse are from Fullmetal Alchemist. Capsule Corp. is from Dragon Ball Z and Shinra Inc. is from Final Fantasy VII.

Episode 064: Zelas' look as the Berserk Beast is partially based on Ayla from Chrono Trigger.

In Episode 066 Amelia quotes L's (Death Note) "justice will prevail."

Episode 067: Goku, Vegeta, Bulma, Trunks and Goten are from Dragon Ball Z.

Episode 068: Mrs. Briefs, Gohan and Videl are also from Dragon Ball Z. The terms of pool and bucket capacity are based on the explanations for the Slayers novels. The pool capacity is the total amount of energy and the bucket capacity is the maximum amount of energy that can be used at a time. The gang who returned to its own world was Team Rocket, which was mentioned and made cameos along with several Pokemon characters in Slayers: Alive.

Episode 073: The scene Xellos tricks Milgazia into reenacting is from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, where Rainbow Dash is teaching Fluttershy how to cheer. The chapter title 'We're All Mad Here' is from Alice in Wonderland.

Episode 075: The time portal gun is a reference to the Portal video game gun.

**Author's Note:**

> Fantasy Bit: http://mikari.piratesboard.net
> 
> Deviant Art: http://mikaristar.deviantart.com
> 
> Fanart Central: http://fanart-central.net/user/AzureMikari/


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